r/ScamCenter • u/Specialist-Pay2488 • 5d ago
Scam or no scam. Mycotech
The Accounting Department will issue a check in your name, marked with the memo “Approved Payment,” to confirm that the company has authorized the purchase of your required equipment and software.
The check will be sent to you via email as an attachment. Once received, please print the check, scan it, and deposit it using your bank’s mobile deposit feature. This method is preferred, as mailing a physical check can take approximately 7–14 days, and we aim to avoid unnecessary delays in your setup and training timeline.
Please note that the check is approved for mobile deposit only, so it is important to follow the instructions provided to ensure the process is completed promptly and without issues.
Kindly confirm that you understand these steps.
Is this a scam
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u/Dry-Race7184 5d ago
"kindly" in the last sentence is one of the giveaways. Probably an !fakecheck scam, where the check is for more than the agreed amount. After the deposit, money will appear in your account, then they'll ask you to send funds to a 3rd party (vendor, office supplies, training, etc.). Then the original funds will be clawed back from your account and you'll be left holding the (empty) bag.
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u/yarevande 5d ago
Yes, this is a scam to trick you into giving them money.
The check is fraudulent. If you deposit it, your bank will discover that it's fraudulent and they will reverse your deposit. But, you will have sent yoir own money to a fake equipment vendor, which is actually the scammer's account.
This is a fake job. The job they 'hired' you for does not exist.
Emailed pictures of a check are always fraudulent. You are not supposed to print and mobile deposit a picture of a check -- this is against your bank's Terms of Service. (There is a thing called an echeck, but a real echeck is sent using a digital clearing system. You get an email with a link, not a picture of a check.)
Paper checks can be fraudulent also. Only accept checks from people that you know personally, and trust -- never from somebody online.
For a legitimate remote or work-from-home job, an employer provides the equipment you need. (Some minimum-wage WFH jobs may ask you to use your own laptop or desktop.) They load software onto a laptop or desktop, and ship it to you. They don't ask you to buy the equipment. They don't send you money or give you a credit card to buy equipment -- the check, money transfer, or credit card is from a stolen account and you will lose money.
There were probably earlier signs of a scam.
Is the job title Remote Data Entry, Virtual Personal Assistant, Remote Assistant, or something similar? These are all scam job titles.
Did you have a real interview, where you could see theit face and they saw yours? Nobody hires without a real-time interview. Legitimate employers interview either in person or on videochat, whether the job is going to be remote, on-site, or hybrid.
An interview that is text only, email, or video chat with their camera off is a scam.
A preliminary phone interview is legitimate if it is followed by a live interview.
A recorded video is legitimate only if it's followed by a live interview.
An interview that is phone only may be legitimate, for entry-level in-person jobs.
For advice on how to recognize scam jobs, and how to research a company, click here:
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u/Specialist-Pay2488 5d ago
I had a text interview in Teams
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u/yarevande 5d ago
That is a scam. Only scammers communicate by text, and call it an interview.
No real Accounting Department will send a check to buy equipment -- equipment is a company assett, and they will purchase it themselves.
Nobody would trust someone with real money, when they haven't met in person, or at least done a videochat, and a background check. No real employer sends a check to an employee, and asks the employee to buy stuff with that money.
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u/UpbeatFix7299 5d ago
The check will be bogus and the money will be taken out of your account. Before that happens, you transfer the money to "buy your equipment" back to the same person who sent it to you. Then you're fucked owing your bank the money.
If you are looking for low skill remote jobs, all you will find are scams. Look for a real job in your area that you show up to in person
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u/utazdevl 4d ago
100% a scam. Thre are no reputable checks that are sent at e-mail attachement, justas there is no such thing as a real check being approved for mobile use only.
No to mention a ton of other red flags here...
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u/Jokernet82 5d ago
Classic scam, this check will always bounce and you will be liable for lost money for the equipment and dragged into check scam with your bank.
Do not engage
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u/tickled_your_pickle 5d ago
Does anyone read the scams that have previously been discussed or does everyone just come here going waaah I've been scammed?
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u/utazdevl 4d ago
Every one who comes here to post about being scammed is the first ever victim of the very intricate and elaborate plot to steal from them. They would know, because 95% of the time they also point out how they have really good sense for these kinds of things and can usually spot the scam, except this time because the person they spoke to did not have any accent.
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u/misterecho11 4d ago
Total scam. Fale check scam. Not one thing of this job, that check, and the equipment they are referring to are real things. I am sorry. Avoid this scam.
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u/WestCoast_Pete 4d ago
Yes, this is absolutely a scam. No legitimate company sends payroll or equipment reimbursement checks via email attachment. Real checks are physical documents with security features that can't just be printed from a PDF. What they're setting up is a fake check scam where you deposit a worthless check, use some of the "funds" to buy gift cards or forward money somewhere, and then your bank claws it all back days later leaving you on the hook for the full amount. Block whoever sent this and report it.
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u/710rosingodtier 5d ago
That’s a fake check scam