I've Tried That - We lose money so you don't have to!

A few months ago, we reported on Mr. Al Snyder and his fake check cashing scam. We were successful in getting his web hosting canceled, but it appears that Al Snyder has now renamed his company and is back in the business of scamming people.

DO NOT Cash Checks from Al Snyder, FindGrantPeople, or GiveOrganization.

Thanks to I’ve Tried That reader Jeremy Gibson for the heads up. He writes…

Al Is up to the same trick but some minor changes. The company name is the Grant Organization. Oddly enough the fax number is still the same 310-919-0154. It is still registered to the Female’s Business League. Their scammer site for payment is http://www.findgrantpeople.net or .info. Somebody must be placing pressure on Al because he is asking for untraceable money cards not prepaid Visa or Mastercard. The bank is Key Bank, Check written by Integrated Payment Systems. New twist on scam they send a 945 dollar check of the 10,000 dollar “grant” you send him 4.09% or $409 in return in less than 5 days then he’ll send the remainder of the $10,000($9055).

The Fake Check Scam

All fake check scams operate in the same manner. The victim, you, probably received a large check in the mail. You have no idea where this check came from but it’s free money, right? What could be better? Well, accompanying that check is a list of instructions. You have probably been directed to go to the bank and deposit the check. Then you are to take about 90% of the money you deposited and send a moneygram via Western Union or mail out a prepaid debit card to whoever sent you the check. Lucky for you, the letter says you get to keep 10% of the check for yourself.

Now, here’s where it gets tricky. The check, of course, is fraudulent. The check will bounce (maybe as much as a year later) and your account will most likely be thousands of dollars in the red. Unfortunately for you, the bank account the check was sent from doesn’t exist and now you’re solely responsible for the debt. Not the bank, not the scammer, but YOU. What was once a promising opportunity has now turned into a hellish nightmare. You are responsible for paying back the bank and the scammer now has thousands of your hard-earned dollars.

Avoid Being Scammed

First things first, DO NOT cash that check. Listen to me. The check is fraudulent. Don’t let yourself become another victim. The thousands of dollars are tempting, but they do not exist. You will lose that money, be deeply in debt, and could even do jail time. The check may have successfully deposited into your bank account, but that’s only because banks have to make any deposited funds readily available to you. When the bank goes to withdrawal the money from the bank account listed on the check, it won’t be there and the check will bounce. Report the fraudulent check to the proper authorities immediately.

You can also spread the word about this article. Link to it wherever you think it will be helpful. Send it out in emails or post it on forums. We need to educate as many people as we can about this scam.