Update - Blank Check Printing Scam
The blank check printing scam has resurfaced in a highly personal way! If you have received an email, purportedly from me, Beverly Geise, regarding printing payroll checks and mailing them out, please know that it is NOT me and is not a legitimate job. In the past two months I have received two inquiries about such an email. They decided to check me out online before committing to the job, and emailed me directly from my website. The job offer comes from an email address that is not mine, so at least this is not a hack of my email. It was unnerving to see how much of my information was in their email, including my full name and business name. But of course all that information is on my website! The reply email address could be easily misconstrued as mine as well.
In any case, I understand why some folks would be eager to have a fully remote and flexible job. As I ran across this job myself several years ago, and was ready to find out more about what it entailed. They were very insistent about getting me on board. Luckily, I figured it out before I gave them any information.
Any bookkeeping or payroll job should, at the minimum, be with a company you know and trust. You should never print on fully blank check stock for anyone you don’t know. If you are printing account numbers on the checks, you could be assisting scammers. It could be that the check you print is on an unsuspecting business’ account. And on top of that, when you try to get paid, they are going to ask you for your information; social security number for taxes, your bank account number for direct deposit, address, etc. This is not information you would want to give anyone you have not fully vetted.
Here is a good explanation of various fake check scams:
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/zl3la6/hey_so_i_was_wondering_how_the_fake_check_scams/
Federal Trade Commission (FTC): https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-report-fake-check-scams
It is also important to report any scams of this sort to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint.
If you receive the offer via email, also report as phishing by forwarding the email to: reportphishing@apwg.org and report it to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint
And finally, let the company or person that was impersonated know about the phishing scheme. I want to thank those two folks who contacted me directly so I knew what was going on. I really appreciate you!
I have included the text of this fake job offer for reference below. Note the slight spelling errors (British English rather than American English), and some awkward phrasing. These are not the big red flags that they used to be. AI is making it easier to write a correctly worded and spelled email. Beware!
Hello,
My Name is Beverly Geise, BDG Bookkeeping Service are exclusively recruiting a payroll clerk for a temp to perm opportunity for a leading Payroll organisation based in the United state.
The organisation is currently going through rapid growth and multiple system projects. Reporting to the Senior Payroll Manager you will be responsible for processing end-to-end payroll, leave entitlements, onboarding, terminations, reconciliations, and compliance.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an immediately available, payroll clerk who is ready to join a motivated finance team whilst providing excellent service and add value to our payroll system!
Duties and Requirements:
* Preparing purchase orders and checks for verification and signature.
* Mailing out checks to customers and staffs.
* Entering all checks vouchers in appropriate account.
This job is easy when learning it. Below are the requirements of the job:
Must have flexible hours online (2-3 hours daily)
Must be Computer literate Must know how to multitask.
Must be able to work without supervision.
Must be trustworthy, the person should be able to secure and keep the vital details of my clients and their company.
This position is moving quickly and is perfect for anyone seeking a temporary to permanent opportunity with an immediate start possible and Email your telephone number to bdgbookkeepingservices@gmail.com
Best Regard
Beverly Geise, CEO
Email: bdgbookkeepingservices@gmail.com
BDG Bookkeeping Service
