Don't be fooled by check scams

Experts estimate that billions of dollars have been lost as the result of fake-check scams.

According to a recent survey by the Consumer Federation of America, nearly one-third of adults have been approached by a scammer trying to pass off fake checks and at least 1.3 million people have become victim of the scam, with an average loss of $3,000 to $4,000.

Following are three common scams that rely on fake checks and can cost victims tens of thousands of dollars:

LOTTERY AND GOVERNMENT GRANT SCAM: Victims receive a letter claiming they've won a lottery or qualify for a grant. Included is a check for some of the money they have coming to them. The victim is told to deposit the check and wire back as much as several thousand dollars to cover taxes or fees. In June, a Nebraska woman lost $58,000 after being told she'd won $11 million in the Jamaica Lottery.

MYSTERY SHOPPING SCAM: The victim believes that they are going to earn money by working for a company that provides mystery shopping evaluations for businesses. The victim receives a letter in the mail along with evaluation forms, a check and instructions. The victim is to deposit the check, and then use the money to purchase items from specified stores and evaluate the customer service. The rest of the money is theirs to keep. Included in the list of stores is Western Union or MoneyGram and the victim is told to wire as much as a couple thousand dollars back to their "employer" and rate their experience with the money wiring service.

OVERPAYMENT SCAM: The victim is selling an item through a newspaper classified or an online site such as Craigslist. A buyer asks to pay by check. When the check arrives the amount is higher than the price of the item. The victim is told that it was a mistake and is sometimes asked to wire the extra back or that the extra cost is for the victim to wire payment to a shipping company, which is actually the scammers.

The BBB offers the following red flags to look out for:

- You're told you won a lottery or received a grant you didn't apply for.

- The name on the check does not match the name of the party with which you are dealing.

- You're given instructions to deposit a check and promptly wire part of those funds back to the sender or to another specified company or contact.

- Scammers will use the telephone to rip you off.

KELVIN COLLINS IS THE PRESIDENT/CEO OF THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OF CENTRAL GEORGIA & THE CSRA INC. REFER QUESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS ABOUT A COMPANY OR CHARITY TO (800) 763-4222, WWW.BBB.ORG, INFO@CENTRALGEORGIA.BBB.ORG OR INFO@CSRA.BBB.ORG.