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what should i do ? If You are not a crags list regular don't even answer.?

I buy and sell things as well as job hunt on Crags list I also post adds for services i do such as cleaning homes and offices and also professional organizer. so a family emails me saying they want me to clean their condo 2 times a week. so it all sounds good and everything they say they are sending a check for my first weeks pay because they are moving and haven't made it here yet but want the home clean when they arrive. the past few days i have been reading the scams section on CL and it says sometimes people send fake money orders. the family says this will be a bank issued check. I don't want to cash it and get in trouble. how can i know if it's a fake? what should i do? I don't have the check yet but the family gave me a tracking number and it shows it's on the way here. some 1 who has received one of these or knows about this more please tell me ether how i can tell if its fake or what you think i should do. i might just hold on to it till i can meet the family just to make sure they are coming.

Public Comments

1. It is very risky to accept a check from CL. Most likely is some sort of a scam. You said they want you to clean the condo. Did they give you a key? How are you going to enter? Why don't they pay you when you meet them? Who is willing to pay in advance especially for a job that can easily be paid when you meet. If you know the address go and check the apartment, ask the neighbors about them, see if the actually live their. You have to see if they are real. Ask their phone number, check them up before you go and cash the check. If the check is fake they will want money back from it. They will send you a bigger check by "mistake" - can you send back the extra money? They will tell to buy stuff with the money and then send it to a different address. Don't do any of the above you will lose your money. If you decide to cash the check, no matter what they say don't send them money or stuff. Tell them you will give everything they want when they get back in person. Verify any business or person that a check comes from. Contact them directly to see if they are real. A check scam may involve the use of checks stolen from a legitimate business or people.
2. It is always fake if they offer to pay you BEFORE they've even met you or you've started working. Its called Advance Fee Fraud for a reason, because they offer to pay you in advance. These scams are everywhere on Craigslist - for nannies, cleaners, drivers, or any other household help What is there to stop you from being a scammer who takes the money and never shows up? They will send you a fake cheque for way more than the amount they told you, like $3000 instead of $300. But they will then say they wrote it out for the wrong amount so you should cash it, keep $300 an send the $2700 back to them through Western Union. Or they'll send you more than you expected but ask you to wire part of it to their 'mover' or 'gardener' or 'nanny' or 'travel agent' or someone else again thru Western Union or Moneygram so it can never been refunded. Even depositing it can get you arrested for suspected bank fraud so don't do it. Do not accept the delivery of the package they sent, you are just confirming your home address to the scammer and you do not want them to know where you live. These scams are usually run by the Russian mafia When the package arrives, refuse delivery saying there is nobody by your name at the address then do not answer any future emails from this person or believe their threats. http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&p=21618 You will never meet the family because they do not exist. They just want you to send them your own money If my post is too late and you did accept the package, tell them you tried to deposit it but your bank would not accept it and is holding it for further investigation and they need to go into the bank with their photo ID when they get back to town to clear up the matter. And since that happened, you will now accept cash payment only after you start working, not before
3. Yes it's a scam, my niece almost fell for the same thing when looking for a babysitting job. Luckily her mother stepped in and told her she could not accept any offer or money BEFORE they met the family Anyone sending money to a person they've never met is a scam, the check is always fake.