Yes, scammers do send fake checks in the mail

Sometimes it comes by surprise, other times while you’re expecting some sort of payment: a check in the mail, sometimes for a few thousand dollars. The check comes with instructions asking you to deposit it and send some of the money back to the sender, or hand it off to a third party. But why can’t you keep all the money? And do strangers really just send payments out of the blue? Several VERIFY readers like Gina recently received unexpected checks in the mail, thought they seemed suspicious and asked our team if they might be scams. THE QUESTION Do scammers send fake checks in the mail?