Shoutout to the teller who warned me about cashier's check scams

Last month I was selling a used truck for $8,500 on Craigslist and a buyer insisted on sending a cashier's check. My local bank teller at Wells Fargo in Phoenix pulled me aside and said that fake cashier's checks are super common and she sees people lose money on them all the time. She told me to wait until the check fully cleared, not just showed as pending, before handing over the keys. Good thing I listened because it took 8 business days for the bank to flag it as counterfeit. Anyone else had a bank employee save you from a bad deal like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

williams.sage1mo ago

@michaeld48 dropping that knowledge about holds is spot on. Something I haven't seen anyone mention yet is that scammers will actually call your bank pretending to be the FBI or some special fraud unit to make you think the check is legit. Lucky the teller warned you cause that 8 day delay probably saved your truck.

michaeld481mo ago

Man that wait until it fully clears part is the real key. So many people see the funds show up in their account and think it's good to go. I had a similar thing at Chase in Dallas where the teller told me they can put a hold on the check and it looks real for a few days but then the bank reverses it. She said if it feels too easy like the buyer is rushing you and not even trying to negotiate then that's a huge red flag. Always trust the bank employees who see this stuff every day.

quinna891mo ago

Man that wait until it fully clears part is the real key" - @michaeld48, that's wild, I always thought once it showed up you were good lol