HOW SCAMMERS COMMIT CHECK FRAUD🚨👮🏻‍♂️

Jack Alderman
13 Apr 202311:36

TLDRThe video discusses various methods scammers use to commit check fraud, including stealing personal information, creating fake checks, and using 'open up' accounts for fraudulent activities. It highlights the ease of obtaining personal data through illegal means and the risks involved in cashing fake checks. The video emphasizes the consequences of check fraud and urges potential scammers to reconsider their actions, highlighting the negative impact on individuals and the potential for getting caught.

Takeaways

  • 🚨 Check fraud is a common method used by scammers to steal money but is also easily traceable and punishable by law.
  • 💸 The first step in check fraud is obtaining personal information, often through illegal means such as stealing mail or working inside banks.
  • 📬 Fraudsters may use platforms like Telegram to purchase personal information for as little as $25 to facilitate their schemes.
  • 🖋 Check washing is a technique where scammers alter legitimate checks by using chemicals like isopropyl alcohol and acetone to change the check's details.
  • 🏦 'Open ups' are bank accounts opened with stolen identities specifically for committing fraud, which can be aged and sold at high prices.
  • 🎭 Scammers may recruit elderly people to cash fake checks to avoid suspicion, as they are less likely to be questioned by banks.
  • 💳 Advanced scammers create shell business accounts to mirror legitimate businesses, making it easier to cash large checks without raising suspicion.
  • 🌐 The internet has simplified the process of check fraud, making it easier for scammers to connect and cash out without extensive networks.
  • 🕵️‍♂️ Surveillance is a significant risk for scammers, with cameras everywhere, including ATMs, which can lead to their capture and prosecution.
  • 🌍 Scammers in some communities are seen as heroes for taking money from first-world countries, but this behavior is still illegal and unethical.

Q & A

  • What is the first method of check fraud discussed in the video?

    -The first method discussed is obtaining personal information through stealing, often targeting mail carriers.

  • What is the risk involved in stealing information from mail carriers?

    -The risk involved is that fraudsters move from white-collar crimes into physically robbing people, which carries a different set of charges.

  • What is the 'Inside Job' method?

    -The 'Inside Job' method involves getting employment at a bank branch to gain access to personal information that can be used for check fraud.

  • How do scammers obtain information through Telegram?

    -Scammers can obtain personal information on Telegram by paying a small fee, which gives them access to a plethora of data from various sources.

  • What is an 'open up' account?

    -An 'open up' account is a bank account opened with the sole intention of committing various types of fraud, such as check fraud or credit card fraud.

  • How do scammers use the 'acetone and Irish Purple alcohol' method?

    -Scammers use this method to alter legitimate checks by removing the original ink and adding their own information and custom amount.

  • What is the significance of surveillance in check fraud cases?

    -Surveillance is significant because cameras are everywhere, including ATMs, which can capture the fraudster's face and provide evidence for prosecution.

  • Why are scammers in Nigeria viewed differently than those in First World countries?

    -In Nigeria, scammers are sometimes seen as heroes for taking money from First World countries, whereas in the US, UK, and Canada, they are frowned upon and disrespected.

  • What is the speaker's stance on scamming individuals who have less money?

    -The speaker views scamming individuals with less money as petty and despicable, as it affects those who can least afford it.

  • What advice does the speaker give to scammers listening to the video?

    -The speaker advises scammers to reconsider their actions, as they are ruining lives and causing unnecessary stress, and hopes that they will be caught and face justice.

  • How does the speaker describe the reality of being a scammer?

    -The speaker describes the reality as filled with sleepless nights, paranoia, and the constant fear of being caught, especially when scamming individuals rather than large institutions.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Check Fraud: Methods and Risks

This paragraph discusses the various methods scammers use to commit check fraud, including obtaining personal information through theft or working in banks to gain access to sensitive data. It highlights the ease of check fraud but also warns about the significant risks involved, such as being indicted and facing multiple charges. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of not using this information to engage in illegal activities and the need for awareness about the consequences of check fraud.

05:02

🔍 Advanced Check Fraud Techniques

The second paragraph delves into more sophisticated check fraud techniques, such as stealing legitimate checks and altering them with chemicals like isopropyl alcohol and acetone. It discusses the use of mobile banking apps to cash fake checks and the recruitment of elderly individuals to avoid suspicion. The paragraph also touches on the use of money orders and cryptocurrency to launder illicit gains, and the critical importance of appearing inconspicuous when attempting to cash out.

10:02

🙏 A Message to Scammers: Reconsider Your Actions

In the final paragraph, the speaker directly addresses scammers worldwide, urging them to reconsider their actions due to the harm they cause. The paragraph emphasizes the negative impact of scamming on people's lives and the stress it brings. It also highlights the inevitability of getting caught and the potential for severe legal consequences. The message concludes with a plea for scammers to stop their activities, especially targeting vulnerable individuals, and a warning that such actions do not make them appear intelligent or successful.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Check Fraud

Check fraud is a type of financial crime where scammers use fake or altered checks to steal money. It is one of the easiest scams to commit but also carries significant legal consequences. In the video, the speaker warns against the dangers and illegality of check fraud, emphasizing that it ruins lives and causes undue stress to victims.

💡Fake Checks

Fake checks refer to counterfeit or manipulated checks that scammers use to deceive victims into releasing money. These checks may appear legitimate but are created or altered to deceive financial institutions and individuals. In the context of the video, the speaker explains that creating and using fake checks is a common method of check fraud, which can be done by stealing mail or through more sophisticated means like Photoshop templates.

💡Inside Job

An inside job refers to a situation where an employee of an organization uses their position to commit fraud. In the context of the video, it describes a method where fraudsters get employment at banking institutions to gain access to sensitive customer information, which they can then use to execute check fraud.

💡Telegram

Telegram is a messaging app that is mentioned in the video as a platform where scammers can purchase personal information to commit check fraud. It is portrayed as a haven for criminals due to the ease with which one can acquire data for fraudulent purposes.

💡Open Up

An 'open up' is a term used in the video to describe a bank account opened with the sole intention of committing various types of fraud, including check fraud. These accounts are often created with stolen identities and can be aged to appear legitimate, making it easier for scammers to carry out their activities.

💡Shell Accounts

Shell accounts are fake business bank accounts created with the intention of mirroring a legitimate business, often for the purpose of fraud. These accounts can be used to launder illicit funds or conduct fraudulent transactions without arousing suspicion.

💡Recruitment

In the context of the video, recruitment refers to the process by which scammers enlist unsuspecting individuals, such as the elderly, to cash fake checks on their behalf. This method relies on the assumption that these individuals will not be suspected of fraudulent activities.

💡Money Laundering

Money laundering is the process of making illegally-gained proceeds appear legal by concealing the true origin and ownership of the funds. In the video, this term is related to the methods scammers use to clean their illicitly obtained money, such as purchasing money orders or converting funds into cryptocurrencies.

💡Surveillance

Surveillance refers to the act of closely watching or monitoring a person or place, often secretly. In the context of the video, it highlights the presence of cameras everywhere, which can be used to identify and capture scammers, emphasizing the risks involved in committing check fraud.

💡Consequences

Consequences refer to the results or effects of an action or decision. In the video, the term is used to discuss the potential legal and social repercussions that scammers face as a result of their fraudulent activities, such as imprisonment or loss of respect.

💡Moral Dilemma

A moral dilemma is a situation in which a person must make a decision between two or more conflicting moral duties or principles. The video presents a moral dilemma by discussing the impact of check fraud on individuals and families, and the speaker urges scammers to reconsider their actions based on ethical considerations.

Highlights

Check fraud is one of the easiest financial crimes to commit but also one of the easiest to get indicted for.

The initial step in check fraud involves obtaining personal information, often through theft or extortion.

Mail carriers are sometimes targeted by fraudsters, highlighting the risks they face in their daily duties.

Inside job methods involve fraudsters getting employment at banking institutions to gain access to sensitive information.

Telegram is used by scammers as a platform to buy and sell personal information for fraudulent activities.

Check fraud can involve creating 'open-ups', bank accounts opened with the sole intention of committing fraud.

Shell accounts are business bank accounts created to mimic legitimate businesses, often for fraudulent purposes.

Fraudsters may recruit elderly people to cash fake checks to avoid suspicion.

A more recent method of check fraud involves stealing legitimate checks and altering them with chemicals.

Mobile banking apps have made it easier for fraudsters to cash fake checks without visiting a bank branch.

Cryptocurrency offers a potential avenue for scammers to launder illicit gains.

Scammers must be aware of the surveillance systems in place that can capture their fraudulent activities.

The consequences of check fraud can be severe, including legal repercussions and societal condemnation.

In some communities, scammers are seen as heroes for acquiring wealth from first-world countries.

Targeting individuals rather than institutions is seen as petty and morally reprehensible.

Scammers should reconsider their actions as they are causing harm and stress to innocent people.

The speaker expresses a strong desire for scammers to be caught and face justice.