How Does the Check Scam Work?

• The “pitch” stays the same, but it appears in the following typical disguises:
• You’re overpaid for an item you sold on the Internet and are asked to wire-transfer back the extra dollars.
• You receive a check and notification that you’ve won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes. You’re told to deposit the check, representing a portion of your winnings, and wire-transfer $2,000 to $5,000 back “to cover the taxes” so you can collect the rest of your winnings.
• You receive a work-at-home offer that promises, in return for depositing a money order or check to your bank account, you can keep a percentage of the money after wire-transferring the rest.
• Someone in a chat room asks you for a favor: Just cash a check and wire-transfer back the money.