If a stranger on the street asked you to deposit a $5,000 check and then withdraw $4,000 and give it back to the stranger, you would probably say, "No!" and walk away shaking your head. If some stranger over the Internet wants you to deposit a check for the stranger and then send someone else most of the money - would you do it? What if the stranger has gained your confidence by spending several months developing a trusting relationship with you? Would you do it?

Unfortunately, this type of scam continues to live because there are people that fall prey to the swindler. There are many reasons, ranging from customer sense of duty to help those in need, to a promise of financial gain, to a desire to succeed in completing a different legitimate transaction. However, the most important reason is that most people do not understand what could - and does - go wrong, will leave you with a huge loss.

"The Internet Buyer Con" - This con scheme starts with a legitimate and honest person selling something on the Internet. A buyer agrees to a price, but needs to ship the item out of the country. The buyer overpays for the item and asks the seller to send the overpayment to the shipping company. The result is that the naïve seller deposits a worthless check he received from the alleged buyer and then sends off the extra cash by Cashier's Check or wire. When the check is later returned, the seller sustains the loss.

"Help Move Money Con" - This started as the typical Nigerian Scam in which people are asked to help move millions into the country that has been funneled off by foreign government officials. In exchange for the use of your account, you can keep a couple million dollars. The more successful variation of this scheme is the poor widow with a child who just was awarded millions in an oil company accident lawsuit. She needs to move her money from Nigeria to a safe place in the United States before the corrupt government steals it. Hundreds of similar variations of this con exist. Eventually, you receive a check for about $200,000 and are then told to send 80 percent of the funds to someone. This results in you cashing a worthless check and sending the money to a stranger. When the check is later returned, you are liable.

These kinds of cons are happening hundreds of times daily to good people across the United States. Because the crooks make their contact through the Internet, someone in a small rural community is just as likely to be scammed as someone in a large city. It has been reported that these cons have become the second largest industry in Nigeria. Local law enforcement is unable to assist in stopping international crooks. Federal law enforcement has been unable to stop these cons that have continued for years and are getting much worse.

How can you prevent becoming a victim? If you think you may have a worthless check, your bank can assist you in verifying that it is worthless by helping you contact the drawee bank and the actual issuer of the check. Altered checks can be returned weeks or even months later. You should never cash a check for a stranger. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You typically do not receive something for nothing. If you become aware of a scam, you should contact both your bank and the local authorities.