WWYD strange check in the mail update in OP

[brismom]

Yesterday we received an letter in the mail with my DH name and address handwritten and no return address. He opens it up and there is a personal money order addressed to someone we don't know for a good amount of money. And that is it, a handwritten envelope with no return and a personal money order. Um, so what do we do with this? We were not expecting anything and the name on the check is no one we know. The stamp from the post office was from FL and the money order was issued from a bank in MA.

UPDATE: Contacted the issuing bank and even before I finished my first sentence they knew what I was talking about, even told me the amount the check was made for. The bank said the fraud scam has reached international levels and they have no idea how people got picked. Simply told to destroy the check.

[OKKiddo]

Yesterday we received an letter in the mail with my DH name and address handwritten and no return address. He opens it up and there is a personal money order addressed to someone we don't know for a good amount of money. And that is it, a handwritten envelope with no return and a personal money order. Um, so what do we do with this? We were not expecting anything and the name on the check is no one we know. The stamp from the post office was from FL and the money order was issued from a bank in MA.

Maybe a co-worker scratched or dented the heck out of DH's car and didn't stick around to own up to it so guilt got the better of him/her and he/she sent a money order (via a friend you know so they don't get caught)? Sounds like a movie, or a tv show (The Finder or what's the Witness Protection show?). :)

[smiles33]

Have you tried googling the name? Is there a phone number for the bank in MA? I find it strange that it's addressed to your DH but the money order is made out to someone else, like they thought your DH would ultimately deliver it? Or maybe they slipped the money order into the wrong envelope?

[TwinFoxes]

I would call the bank. Did you google the bank, is it for real? Honestly, it's so weird I wouldn't try to contact a person, in case it's an elaborate scam. I'd just deal with the bank, or even turn it over to the police.

[janine]

I would call the bank. Did you google the bank, is it for real? Honestly, it's so weird I wouldn't try to contact a person, in case it's an elaborate scam. I'd just deal with the bank, or even turn it over to the police.

:yeahthat:

What a mystery though, keep us posted!

[vludmilla]

I would be concerned that it was a scam. I would not cash it until I had researched it very well and was absolutely confident that it was not a scam.

[janine]

I would be concerned that it was a scam. I would not cash it until I had researched it very well and was absolutely confident that it was not a scam.

Its not made out to them so how could they cash?

[barkley1]

I think I would just let the post office know in vase someone filed a claim looking for it. Otherwise, I don't think there's much you can do....whoever sent it needed to put a return address on it! It wasn't addressed to you or DH by name, just address, right?

[Tondi G]

I would attempt to contact the Bank listed on the MO on Monday.

[maiaann]

I have absolutely no clue, but please keep us posted!

[MamaMolly]

Very interesting! Let us know what happens. :popc1:

[amldaley]

I would call the bank. Did you google the bank, is it for real? Honestly, it's so weird I wouldn't try to contact a person, in case it's an elaborate scam. I'd just deal with the bank, or even turn it over to the police.

This. Call the bank, ask for the manager.

[brismom]

update in original post.

[TwinFoxes]

Thanks for the update OP, I was very intrigued by the story. Did the bank say the scammer will try to contact you? Creepy.

[codex57]

Just saw this. Sounds like a slight variation of the typical fake money order scam. You post something for sale, like on Craigslist, eBay, etc, or whatever, and someone comes to you offering you a money order for over your asking because of some reason (leaving the country and need it now, etc). Say you can keep the extra funds.

Or, it's to a different person who can't cash it for whatever reason, ask you to do it and you can keep X amount for your trouble. You wire the rest to them.

If you've been on eBay for a while, you basically treat every money order or cashier's check as a likely fake. Sad, but that's cuz you see so many of these fake money order scams.

[Momit]

Thanks for the update! I've been really curious about this - it's like an episode of that old show "Unsolved Mysteries."

[Fairy]

UPDATE: Contacted the issuing bank and even before I finished my first sentence they knew what I was talking about, even told me the amount the check was made for. The bank said the fraud scam has reached international levels and they have no idea how people got picked. Simply told to destroy the check.

Wow. WOW. Thank you for posting, this is a huge PSA.

[MamaMolly]

Ah-ha! Mystery solved! Thanks for the update.