“Hey, I can help you earn some quick cash.”
To some, those words are an immediate red flag. Surely, this must be a scam. Just say, “No, thanks,” and move on.
But wait. The person making the offer has someone else with him. And that person has a stack of cash.
They sing the guy’s praises. “Hey, it worked for me. All I had to do was cash a check for him – and he paid me a lot.”
In other cases, there’s a story about an urgent need – some down-on-my-luck concoction that appeals to the conscience of the person who the criminal is trying to lure.
“Hey, I’m new here, and I just haven’t been able to get my bank account set up yet. I’ve gotta get my power and water turned on. I just need someone to deposit this check and give me the cash. I’ll even give you a cut of the money,” they say.
It’s happening nationwide.
Often, college campuses are ground zero.