A fraud scheme involving counterfeit checks and money orders is speeding across the Internet, costing financial institutions and their customers thousands of dollars.

The scheme begins when a scam artist, typically associated with a Nigerian criminal enterprise, goes on the Internet posing as a student or other person working overseas who needs your help cashing a check or money order.

The scammer typically contacts you by e-mail, an Internet chatroom, or an online auction site. You provide a mailing address, and the scammer sends you a check or money order with a request to cash or deposit it into your bank account.

The money orders and the checks are counterfeit. Postal Service Money Orders are just the latest financial instrument used in the scam, which has long made use of bank drafts, cashier checks, and other brands of money orders.

But the similarity ends there. Postal Service Money Orders have security features that distinguish them from other financial instruments.

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Learning to recognize them will protect you from being victimized by the scheme. Postal Money Orders have special inks, watermarks, and security threads.

Forex gt arrow two most prominent security features can be viewed by holding the money order fake money order usps front of a light source. Look for these features: The Postal Service issues domestic and international money orders. They are distinguished by their green, fake money order usps, and blue colors.

With the cooperation and assistance of our law enforcement partners--especially U. A new twist in the scam is the use of an authorization letter advising a financial institution that the sender is authorized by the U. Postal Service to negotiate the instrument.

Money Orders | USPS

The Postal Service does not issue authorization nasdaq dubai trading system, and the receipt of one should fx-bridge-preps-options-volatility-commentary a red flag to financial institutions and potential victims.

Any information or questions reading a forex chart to counterfeit U.

Postal Service Money Orders should be forwarded to the U. This fraud alert has been issued by Paul J. Krenn, a United States Postal Inspector, and National Public Information Officer for the United States Postal Inspection Service.

The Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement and corporate security office of the United States Postal Service.

Fake Check Scams

Media and law enforcement inquiries may contact Paul Krenn at Consumer inquiries should contact their local Postal Inspection Service office for further assistance. A watermark of Benjamin Franklin, the oldest and one of the most famous signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.

Constitution, is visible on both the front and reverse side of the money order when held to the light. With Counterfeit Financial Instruments, Everything Old is New Again. September 1, A fraud scheme involving counterfeit checks and money orders is speeding across the Internet, costing financial institutions and their customers thousands of dollars.