GREENSBORO, N.C. —
Murphy Brown is on CBS, which means she's at WFMY, sort of.
The show plays in our master control room. So, it was kind of funny when mail addressed to the fictional character was delivered to the station.
But what was inside, isn't funny, it's this fake check.
The front and back look like a regular check. No red flags there. The Bank of the West is a real bank, we called to check. But this check is not real. The bank confirmed it.
No one lost money in this case, but it happens. The name on the check is sometimes close enough that you think it's just a typo. In fact, I got one of these checks a few years ago. It was addressed to Tony Rivera instead of Tanya Rivera. I could have cashed it, spent the money and then been out ALL that money once the bank realized it was bogus.
To keep that from happening to you, here's a trick 2WTK learned. It's about placement of numbers. The check number on a real check should be at the bottom right of the fake check. (Spoiler alert: it's NOT that way on the Murphy Brown check!)
And before you say, "if the bank cashes it, then it's on them, not me", you would be wrong.
It's always a scam when...
The check is just a partial payment --- you have to send them money to get the rest.
If the job or prize or grant requires you to wire money via western union.
If the name on the check and the name of the company sending it are different.
It’s ALWAYS a scam when you get a check for more than what you’re asking.
You get a check out of the blue for no reason. Really? Who gets free money?