A new scam is hitting US bank accounts by starting with an unusual target – people’s photos on social media.
In a warning to consumers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says the scam begins with unsolicited messages on social media from someone who says they like a photo you took, and are willing to pay thousands of dollars to use it in a painting.
Once the terms are agreed on, the scam “artist” then sends a check to the victim and subsequently asks for a bit of that cash back to buy art supplies.
The FTC says scammers typically promise to reimburse any money that’s sent back, which of course never happens because the whole thing is a scam.
“While the check may look real and the funds may initially show up in your bank account, the check’s fake.
By the time the bank realizes it, you’ll be out the money you sent the scammer and owe the bank any money you withdrew.”
The FTC says it’s best to only deposit checks from people you know and trust, if possible, and to be extremely skeptical of anyone who’s asking for money back.
The agency also has a primer on how to spot fake check scams here.
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