Advisory Council member and Civitellian John Newman (CRF 2014) warns in the New York Times about fake check scam that cost him $12,000.
“When the $12,000 showed up in John Newman’s bank account from someone who had bought a pair of his drawings online, his first thought was relief. But five days later, the money was gone. The check was fraudulent. His bank reversed the payment. And now the New York artist was out both the cash and the drawings, which he had already shipped. Mr. Newman had been swindled by a fake check scam, in which fraudsters take advantage of the lag between when banks show funds are available in a seller’s account and when a check actually clears.”
Read more here, and use caution.