Check scams are becoming increasingly prevalent on the internet. It is important to protect yourself from these scammers when doing business online. Remember, in business a little bit of skepticism can save you a lot of trouble. If anyone approaches you with a deal that does not make sense, then it is best to research it further or avoid it completely.

Here are some tips to protect yourself from scams on the internet:

• If someone sends you a business proposition, sales offer or lottery winning notice that you did not request, do not trust it. Reputable businesses do not send unsolicited emails, and by responding to them you are opening yourself up for fraud, identity theft and other dangers.
• When selling things online, never take a payment that is more than the amount of the sale. If someone overpays by check, send the check back and request a payment for the exact amount of the sale.
• Be careful of the anonymous nature of wire transfers. If someone in a business transaction asks for you to wire transfer money back to them or to a third party, this can be a sign of a scam.
• Do not accept international checks.
• If you sell over the internet often, consider contracting with a 3rd party, such as 2Checkout, who will ensure that you receive payment for the goods and services that you provide.
• If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Being rushed into business agreements or asked to keep the deal a secret are both signs of a scam. Remain skeptical and protect yourself!

If you receive a check from someone and are not confident that it is real, there are several steps that you can take before depositing it:

• If you receive a check from a company, research that company and make sure that it makes sense for them to be sending you a check. Many frauders make fraudulent checks look like those of large companies. If you don’t understand why you were paid by this company, call them directly using the number from their website.
• Before cashing checks, take them to the local branch of the bank that they were drawn from to verify that it is good.
• Remember that many fraudulent checks are very detailed, even containing watermarks and correct account and routing codes. Just because it looks like a real check does not mean that it is safe to cash.

If you believe that you have been defrauded, there are many groups that you can go through for help. Remember, the more information that law enforcement has about these scams, the better we will be protected in the future.

For international fraud, Econsumer.gov is a consumer protection project combining the efforts of agencies from 21 nations.

If the fraud was contained within your country, contact your local authorities or, if you are in the US, the attorney general’s office of your state.

For more information, take a look at the Consumer alert (PDF) put out by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs or FakeChecks.org.