The BBB is warning of more scammers trying to take your money.
The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau wants you to be careful not to fall victim to a grant scam that uses counterfeit checks to steal your funds. Susan Bach of the BBB says they've received several hundred inquiries in the last week about a fraudulent business scheme in which the scammers invoke the name of a well-known Wisconsin company — Briggs and Stratton Corporation .
"It's a grant scam that is using a counterfeit check and instructing the recipients to deposit the money into their personal checking account and then wire money overseas. Now that's a huge red flag."
It's a double whammy. Bach says the recipient not only misses out the money promised, but also owes the bank the money they withdraw from their account for the scammer.
Bach points out there is no wrong-doing by the real Briggs & Stratton.
"Absolutely; it's a case where a legitimate companies name has been high-jacked to gain the consumers' trust and to add some sort of sense of legitimacy when in fact they're not … the real Briggs and Stratton Corporation isn't affiliated at all."
Bach says if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. You should see a red flag when you get a check unexpectedly. And you should never pay money in order to receive money. If you've fallen victim to this scam, which is mail fraud, notify the postal inspector and file a complaint with the BBB.