When Tony Brown got a call in late November from someone named "Emily" who said they worked for a company called Moneypark Finance, he thought his prayers had been answered. According to News 5 Cleveland, Tony and his wife, Christina, had been seeking a personal loan to furnish their new home and buy Christmas gifts for their kids. Emily just happened to offer them the chance to borrow $8,000.
But the Elyria, Ohio, couple ended up walking straight into a nightmare that continues to haunt them. An investigation by the local broadcaster found no evidence that Moneypark Finance existed, and the couple had been swindled for thousands of dollars in a check scam.
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"It’s depressing because we really haven’t been able to get caught back up on everything," Christina told News 5 in a story published April 17.
Now, the couple wants to warn others. Here’s how the scam worked, along with some tips on how to avoid a similar situation.
How a scam cost the Browns thousands
The Browns say Emily told them they could borrow funds, but there was a catch. Because the couple had poor credit, she said they’d have to print the loan checks themselves, which were sent by email. The couple was instructed to buy blank check paper and print them out.
Next, the Browns say they were told to deposit the checks into their account at different Fifth Third Bank locations. Afterward, they were to buy gift cards and forward the codes on those card. The instructions left them scrambling.
"I’m getting off work and I’m running around Lorain County trying to get these checks done and deposited, and then have to turn right back around and go buy gift cards,” Christina explained.
She began to get upset, and Tony acknowledged the situation was a little odd
"When the bank accepted my first one, I was like this might be cool," he said. "I didn’t know she was going to make me do it again and again."
The couple got fed up and spoke directly with their bank. Now, Tony says, his bank account has been locked and he has to pay thousands of dollars for the fake checks.
"I’m having to work more shifts at work to be able to get caught up and [Tony is] doing a lot as well," Christina said.
"I feel like an idiot," Tony said.
Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
How to avoid scams and keep your funds safe
Unfortunately, banks don’t usually refund money if you are a victim of a check scam. Fake check scams take many forms, from promises of a phony loan to being hired for a fake job to being "overpaid" for something you sell.
What many have in common is that you’re given a bad check to cash and told you must buy and provide gift cards in exchange. Since banks often make deposited funds available quickly, you may think the money is safely in your account — but it’s not.
To avoid a similar scam, you should always research a company carefully before you agree to any financial transactions. In this case, News 5 tried to track down Moneypark Finance but couldn’t track down a representative after calling several numbers linked to the company. Journalists even traveled to Houston, Texas, to visit the address listed on the company’s website — but it didn’t exist. There was a hotel standing where the address would have been, with no sign of a Moneypark Finance inside.
Be wary if any business asks for anything other than a conventional means of payment.
"Anybody telling you to print checks, anybody telling you to buy gift cards … if they have a special payment method in mind, it’s probably a special case of being scammed," Ryan Lippe, Consumer Educator with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, told News 5.
Lastly, avoid doing business with any company that pressures you to act quickly or calls you out of the blue. If you get a phone call from a company asking for money or financial information, the best thing to do is just hang up.
Scammers "want you to act fast," Lippe said. "They want you to think flat-footed. They don’t want you to be thinking with a rational mind."
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
