Bradenton, Fla. – The Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Office recently became aware of a fraudulent check scam in which an individual is promised a job with a charity and receives a check that appears to be created and issued by the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners and signed by the Board Chair and Angelina Colonneso, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.
In the email, the sender asks the receiver to deposit the received check into their bank account and then send a picture of the deposit as verification. Following the verification, the sender would further instruct the receiver on how to send a portion of the money to the charity.
Tips on how to spot a fake check
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) shares the following tips on spotting a fake check. Visit FDIC’s website for the complete list of tips.
- Make sure a legitimate bank issued the check. While some counterfeit checks will include a legitimate bank’s name, a fake name is a sure giveaway.
- Check with the bank that supposedly issued the check to make sure it is real. Make sure you look up the phone number on the bank’s official website and don’t use the phone number printed on the check (that could be a phone number controlled and answered by the scam artist). Next, call the official number and ask them to verify the check. They will likely need to know the check number, issuance date, and amount.
- Consider how and why you received the check. If someone you don’t know initiated the payment, be skeptical and proceed cautiously. Scammers often communicate with their victims via e-mail or text message. Their communications may contain poor grammar and spelling errors.
- Official checks usually contain watermarks, security threads, color-changing ink, and other security features. While scammers can sometimes copy these security features, the quality is often poorly executed.
Know how to protect yourself
If you or someone you know recently received a check from an unknown source and you believe it might be fraudulent, here are a few tips on protecting yourself.
- Do not communicate with unsolicited e-mail senders.
- Do not provide any personal information to an unknown person.
- If you do receive a check, do not deposit the check.
Where do I report a fake check?
If you receive a fake check, report it to the Manatee County Sheriff’s office at (941) 747-3011 Ext. 2260. In addition, you can report scams to the Florida Department of Agriculture. Visit the Florida Department of Agriculture’s website for more information.
About the Clerk’s Office
The Clerk of Circuit Court was established as a public trustee by the Florida Constitution in 1838. The Clerk of the Circuit Court serves as the Clerk of Courts, the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners, Auditor, Recorder, and Custodian of all County Funds. In Manatee County, the Clerk’s office also administers a local child support enforcement program, violence protection advocacy program, and Teen Court programs. Located at 1115 Manatee Avenue West in downtown Bradenton, the Courthouse is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Please be sure to visit our website at: www.manateeclerk.com.