Scam: Fraudulent Checks Issued in the Name of Japanese Consulate in Detroit, Michigan

The Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was informed of a new check scam which has affected multiple individuals across the United States.

The scam involves a check which looks like it is issued by the Consulate General of Japan, Detroit, Michigan, via a Michigan financial institution. The check is sent to individuals requesting them to deposit the check into their personal account. The depositor is then directed to retain a portion of the deposit, but to forward the balance of the amount to another account. Many times, by the time the bank notifies the depositor the check is fraudulent, the money is long gone and the depositor is on the hook for the counterfeit check.

The sender of the fraudulent checks can find out an individual’s information from many different sources. In one of the cases, the fraudulent check came to an individual who answered a post on Craigslist for a nanny.

The FBI advises the public to be aware of such fraudulent schemes and to be diligent when receiving checks or solicitations in the mail or on e-mail. If you do not recognize the sender, please verify information by using various Internet-based resources, confirming the factual name address, phone number, and existence of the organization or individual.