Print Scam - counterfeit checks

Not sure if this has already been brought here but there is a wee scam out there where a 'married couple' orders a bunch of prints from photographers website to decorate their new home. They send a cashiers cheque for an print order but in a much larger amount than that quoted by the photographer. Supposedly the photographer cashes the cheque, then the couple contacts the photographer saying the amount was a mistake and could the photographer refund the difference... well... you know the rest of the story (the original check was a counterfeit). Guess who loses money?

Anyway I got a $3100 check for a $650 print order. I was suspicious and searched for the issuing bank on-line and found this little item... http://www.fdic.gov/news/news/SpecialAlert/2007/sa07035.html

So if it is too good to be true... (you know the rest)

Darwin

Thanks for the heads up Darwin. We used to get something similar from prospective wedding photo clients, but they never seemed to get the details right- inquiring about things such as traveling from our studio in New Jersey to the wedding in Las Vegas, for example- so we never responded. We'll watch for this particular bank, since they are trying the young couple angle.

Thanks for the "head's up", Darwin. This is a pretty common scam. I always insist on payment in the exact amount and return any checks that are for greater or lesser sums. I, also, hold all orders until the check (cashier's, money orders, even USPS money orders) have cleared my bank. My bank is pretty quick to let me know when a check is bogus!

Good point Tom! We have chased a few bad checks, but then again we're in a small town. It helps too, that we get 60% down before sending off a print order to our lab, then have to wait a few days before the prints come back and we can deliver.

Frankly, it's a relief simply to accept credit cards and be done with it. You know right away if the card is good or not. Sure there's roughly a 3% charge to us from the cc companies, but we have built that into our pricing structure.

Tom has it exactly, I state no good until funds have cleared, I don't give a hoot if that takes 5 days or 15, the client waits till the money has cleared in my bank. Don't when you seem to say that the scammers never reply

It would be interesting if you could "refund" them with another bum check, and see what happens.

Thanks for that heads up. I don't take checks for prints. Clients order them off the Web site using a debit or credit card, but I do take wedding and portrait and photo excursion deposits to book specific dates, and of course the "young couple" scam could work just fine on a wedding gig if a person wasn't careful. Of course, there's plenty of time to make sure the check clears for most wedding clients, because they're usually booking several months in advance of the wedding. Same thing to a lesser degree with portraits and excursions.

I hope they are being tracked down, and others like them, so that they can get what they deserve. Fraud has become a pandemic

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada