What are mobile deposits?
Mobile Deposits are paper checks deposited by their recipient using a camera or scanner without the need to visit a physical credit union or bank branch location. It is a feature on most mobile banking apps that allows you to take a picture of your check and upload with just a few clicks, no matter where you are. All HFS accounts, except Business Accounts, are eligible to use Mobile Deposit as long as they are enrolled in Online Banking and have downloaded the Mobile App.
Mobile Deposits allow you to quickly and securely deposit your funds directly into your savings or checking account, all without ever having to step foot into a branch. Using the service is easy. Simply open the HFS App on your smartphone or tablet and follow the on-screen prompts.
There are numerous benefits to using mobile deposits. Including the ability to deposit checks 24/7, no charge to utilize the feature, and you can rest assured that your information is secure when depositing. No more waiting in long lines on your lunch break!
Mobile Deposits, as the name says, often involves a mobile device (such as a smartphone or tablet) with a camera and a compatible mobile application. This can also make it a prime opportunity for fraudsters to commit a range of check scams.
How does a mobile deposit scam work?
Mobile deposits are remarkably simple to make and are used by millions of American consumers on a daily basis. If you have never used your banking provider’s smartphone app to deposit a check previously, it is a safe, quick, and convenient way to make your life simpler.
However, like every aspect of your money and banking habits, you should be aware of ways that scammers may try to use mobile deposits for illegal personal gain. Fake check scams typically involve a scammer contacting their victim through email or social media posting as a potential employer, lender, or interested buyer on a marketplace site. The fraudster will often provide the victim an opportunity to earn money quickly by depositing a check to their account. The scammer will further request the victim’s bank account information and may even ask for online or mobile banking login credentials. Most commonly, these schemes involve temporary hire for work such as mystery shopping or evaluating a product.
The victim deposits the fake check using mobile deposit. While these payments are seemingly legitimate, they often come with an overpayment and a request to immediately return a certain amount via certified funds like a cashier’s check or money order, wire transfer, or purchase of gift cards. The check will later be returned as fraudulent and the victim ultimately takes the loss.
Types of Mobile Deposit Scams
Job/Income Scam: It starts with an advertisement for jobs that do not exist, like mystery shoppers or online data entry positions. These jobs usually involve the receipt of a check which is deposited to the victim’s account, at which time they are instructed to send a portion of the funds elsewhere via wire transfer or money order. Meanwhile, the check is fake, leaving the victim with the loss.
Catfishing (fake dating profile): This occurs when the scammer adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s trust and affection. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
Loan Scam: Fraudulent online loan scams are similar to job scams. Advertisement for loans that are not legitimate can lead to a victim depositing a fraudulent check and being left with a loss.
Fake Contests: This occurs through a phone call, email, or letter saying you’ve won a sweepstakes, lottery, or cash prize. The victim is asked to pay a fee or tax to claim their prize and urged to send the money via wire transfer or purchase gift cards and give them the card numbers. Often, mobile deposit fraud tactics involve capturing account login information for trial deposits or “better odds” if the information is provided.
Remote Deposit Scams: This involves the scammer gaining access to a victim’s bank account and depositing fraudulent checks. They will then ask the victims to withdraw the funds and send it back through a third-party money transfer service.
How to Protect Yourself
The key thing to remember with these scams is – if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Especially if they involve requests for funds to be sent back or for bank account or personal information. It’s important to be vigilant and trust your instincts when considering whether or not to mobile deposit a check you have received. Never share your information or accept any form of payment when you are desperate or under pressure.
Don’t Give Out Private Information
Your personal and account information should be safeguarded. Legitimate employers, friends, and contests will never ask you for this type of information in exchange for payment. When you are asked to send information in exchange for payment, ask yourself why and if there are other options. If you are communicating with someone you’ve never met in person or a company with no online information who is asking for your information, it’s most likely a scam.
Monitor Your Account Activity
Don’t wait for your monthly statements to check your accounts. With mobile banking, it’s easy to check accounts at your convenience to validate that your expected payments have been processed and fraudulent transactions have not. The sooner you notice suspicious activity, the sooner something can be done to stop it.
Be Skeptical
Your instincts are often your greatest asset and shield against becoming a victim of fraud. You should regularly ask yourself whether the party you’re engaged with – whether an employer, a significant other, a friend, or a business affiliate – is behaving as expected and is asking you to take reasonable risks. If your conscience feels compromised, slow down and take time to reassess your options.
What to do if You Think You’ve Been Scammed
The information and steps shared above are great ways to ensure you’re informed and equipped to protect yourself against mobile deposit fraud. However, scammers are talented and convincing, and you may be exposed despite your best efforts.
If you think you may have become a victim of a mobile deposit scam, contact your local police department immediately and notify your financial institution as soon as possible. They can place additional safeguards on your account.
Remember, if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you aren’t sure, trust your instincts and don’t proceed. If you have questions about protecting your identity and your accounts online, visit hfsfcu.org or call 808-930-1400.
Can this app be used fir personal check?
Aloha Rose! Mobile Deposit in the app can be used for personal checks.
I have a friend who has someone asking him to accept a personal check for mobile deposit but the check he is supposed to take the photo of, it isn’t an actual photo but rather a scanned copy. I haven’t had to provide any personal or financial information and I don’t think my banking app will accept it but I feel like I should keep my guard up. Is it possible for them to gain access to my account in such a manner?
Hi Dan! In cases like this, we would suggest always being cautious if a situation seems off. We’d recommend that you give your financial institution a call and ask for their advice on this situation.
A man on social media wanting to help me asked me to open a discover account and I did…..he asked for the log in too…..I gave it…. assuming that since I just opened it and have no funds then they can’t take anything….then I got an email saying that discover has received the scanned check and is being processed…..the thing is that he never asked for anything in returned…..what should I do
Aloha Michael, We would recommend that you contact Discover directly as soon as possible regarding your account. They should be able to help you shut down the account and prevent further fraudulent activity from taking place. Also, while you’re getting in touch with the company, you can also change your log in information so this person can no longer access the account.
Someone asked me to join Trading online. She introduce herself as an account manager. The offer is inticing so i joined,Now my profit reached to $18,000 but i cannot withdraw as they said without paying an upgrade fee to the online bank where my profit was being deposited. They ask for $3,000 to me. What should i do? $18,000 profit as thet said is a very big help when release to me.
Aloha Ian – Just from the details you have shared with us, this does sound like a scam and we would not recommend paying any more money to this person. When you feel uneasy about a situation like this one, trust your gut. If you need to talk this through with someone, we recommend contacting your financial institution for additional advice. Also, since it deals with trading, you can visit sec.gov and report this as suspected fraud.
I’m “in the process” of an attempted scam – I have the check that was emailed to me yesterday (for marketplace items), and there are multiple red flags that convince me it’s a scam. Is there any way the catch these people, or do I just stop engaging and let them move on to the next victim?
Hey Ev – We’re glad that you spotted the red flags right away! We would recommend that you stop engaging and report the person to the marketplace that you were selling your items through, if possible.
I think I’m in the process of a scam as well on marketplace. what were the red flags that your referring to? My guy doesn’t really have a profile, he’s out of the country and said he has to talk to his financial advisor and when the check clears, we will schedule the movers to come pick it up.
Aloha Jamey – one of the biggest red flags will be if they send you a check for more than the cost of the item they are purchasing, and ask you to send additional funds back to them. I would suggest bringing the check into your financial institution and have them take a look to see if they spot any identifiers of a possible fake check.
Hello. So it’s my first bank account so I’m sorry if this is dumb. I was in the process of being scammed but I think I did get scammed in the end. Anyways I got sent 2 checks from 2 days ago. (Still have them for evidence) This lady said it was for the orphanage. So I believed it was for a good cost. After hearing that, I cashed in the two checks. After that she tried getting be to send money to a random phone number saying it was for the orphanage and that’s when I found out it was a scam but I’m afraid it’s to late though. I’ve told my bank about it yesterday. Is there anything else I should do because I’m terrified that I’ve been caught in a scam.
Aloha Jay – it’s always smart to ask! What you’re explaining does sound like a scam, and those checks are most likely not valid. Any time you are sent funds via check and asked to send funds back, that’s a red flag. We would recommend that you seek advice from your financial institution and see what they recommend you do. Mahalo for reaching out to us!
I am in the process of being scammed.Recently got a new job ,signed offer letter and all looked good.Then started the training,it was too easy for the job for 2 days.Then on 3rd day received a check for fee thousand dollars and the reporting manager (always chatted over Skype,not even a call or email),told that this payment is for procurement of software and hardware needed for the job. And asked me to deposit it to my bank using mobile deposit and send a screenshot. Then the financial department will authorize it. I did sent a screenshot,after this I felt like I was being scammed.Before the scammer could do anything,I went to the bank which issued this cheque and cashed it out. Next day the person said ,now you have to make ups drafts or zelle to 4 different people (stating that these are the vendors).I said no and told them that I think you are a scammer.What should I do now?
Aloha! We would recommend that you cease contact with this reporting manager and seek advice from your financial institution. They will likely work with you to find out what information you may have shared with them, so they can recommend what your next steps should be to safeguard your accounts/information where necessary.
I have a friend that had 2 checks mobile deposited into her bank account and the checks are wrote out to her but definitely not her hand writing and they were actually from a family members account but the money never left her account that she’s aware of. The family member caught it and obviously questioned her. But my friend swears she did not take the family members checks and mobile deposit them into her account. She looks really guilty but this friend would never do that to her family. Is it possible for that to happen. The bank is in the process of getting the money back to the family member now. The bank has determined that her account was hacked. How can that happen without her actually having the checks in her possession?
Aloha Shelley – It is hard to determine what exactly has happened in this scenario, but we would recommend speaking with the bank to get more information and find out their opinion on how this may have happened. Your financial institution will always be the most reputable source to work with when something happens involving your account. Mahalo for commenting!
I received a message on Instagram saying “ what would you do if you receive $3000 into your account.” I felt like it’s a scam. But I wanted to know what they will reply. So I replied saying I would donate. So I immediately got a reply saying please share PayPal or any continent payment method will transfer the money. I replied saying I would donate anyways so you can straight away donate it than transferring it to my account. But I wanted to know what type of scam is this.? And posting here so ppl don’t get conned.
Aloha Rakhi – We are aware of scams that involve person to person payment services, such as PayPal. Scammers create emails pretending to be that company, asking you to click on a link to confirm receipt of a payment and provide login information, at which point they get access to your account. It sounds like this scam could be heading in that direction, but it’s hard to say with certainty. You were right to be cautious, and thank you for sharing this so others can be aware. Mahalo!
I may be in the process of a scam. Someone contacted me on social media platform asking to use a photo of mine to mine. She asked for permission and said I would get some money for my photo. She emailed me a $3000 check and I genuinely can’t tell if it’s fraudulent. I’m too scared to deposit it, but she keeps asking me for confirmation that I have deposited the check. I voiced my concerns and she got offended and said she has a well known reputation and sent me photos of other transactions. Am I being scammed or just paranoid?
Aloha Karlee – with what you have shared, it’s good to be cautious. One of the red flags to look out for is a sense of urgency, when the potential scammer is trying to rush you or hounding you for information. We would recommend bringing this scenario to your financial institution. Allow them to review the check and they can help you determine its legitimacy. Always trust your gut – if something doesn’t feel right it’s good to get another opinion from a reputable source.
I had a friend that lost her wallet and her phone and got mail from the bank saying there were checks deposited into her account and can’t release the money until checks are endorsed she always had her passwords saved on her phone and she’s freaking that she is going to get in trouble and she can’t get into her account because the bank put a hold on it and the fraud team is handling it like at first her account was in the negatives but now it’s not is it likely that the checks have returned please tell me something to tell her so she can calm down it’s been a week since this happened
Hi Nicole, in any situation involving fraud and your account it is always best to work directly with your financial institution. They should be able to help your friend put safeguards in place, such as updating her passwords to secure her online account, and instructing her on what to do regarding those fraudulent checks. They can also give her a status update on why her account balances have updated. This should help her get some peace of mind when they provide her with updates and explanations. We hope everything works out. Mahalo for reaching out!
@karlee what is the lady’s name? I think I’m being scammed too.
this is exactly what is happening to me rn, did you ever deposit it? I. so tempted to deposit mine but im feeling fishy about it
Aloha Curtis – if you are feeling uncertain about a check you’ve received, we recommend you trust your gut instinct and not deposit it. We would suggest that you take the check to your financial institution and get their opinion. In most times, if you were not expecting a check from a person or a company, there is a high probability it could be fraudulent. Mahalo for commenting!
Think I’m getting scammed. A girl contacted me on social media about using one of my photos as inspiration for a mural for her client. She said her client would write the 3,000 dollar check to me and I would get 500 out of it and then I have to send her the rest of it. I got the email and…..deposited it. After some thinking, I got nervous and contacted my bank and they said it’ll go through processing, and in this situation, to not use/send the money until everything is verified. Contacted me through insta with stfany2. Writing this out in case some others have also been hit up by this girl.
Thank you for sharing this situation Adrianna! It’s definitely a red flag when they send you more money than necessary, and ask you to send it back. It was smart to reach out to your financial institution for advice, that’s always the best place to go.
A friend of mine had a guy email him a check, he mobile deposited it and it cleared. The guy asked him to zelle just a small portion of the check amount to his church. Now the guy wants to email 3 more checks to him but the guy that emailed the 1st check hasn’t said he wants him to donate any of the next 3 checks. My friend said the check cleared and is available in his account. Could this be a scam? My friend asked him why he couldn’t just donate to his church and my friend was told because the guy that sent the check, wife seized all of his accounts or something like that. My friend is going to his bank tomorrow to talk to them. He says he never gave out any account or login info and his account info is not shown online either through the screenshots he sent
Aloha Linda – It’s hard to say for certain, but there are definitely some red flags here that are cause for concern. It’s a great idea for your friend to talk to his bank about this. Scammers can be very tricky, including sending fake emails that look like outside vendors, such as zelle, with links that could potentially steal information. His financial institution can help him determine what his next steps are to safeguard his account and his information.
Hi I think I’m being scammed or in the process at least. So I was contacted by a sugar momma and she wanted me to set up a bank account( I only had Cash app and paypal) I did then she asked what bank and she needed my email and full name as it would be written on the check. I told her I thought she was a scammer she assures me she is not, and even sends screenshots of previous payments to a past sugar baby and I told her I was uneasy about giving out my name and email. She said okay we can wait a while until my mobile check was set up, but I still feel like it’s a scam?
Send Help?
Aloha Kacey – Mahalo for commenting with this situation. While we can’t say with certainty whether it’s a scam or not, we always suggest to trust your gut instinct. If you feel uncomfortable giving out your information that is already a red flag. When you have doubts, we suggest erring on the side of caution and not moving forward in the situation. As always, please reach out to your financial institution for assistance. They are a great resource for you in a situation like this. Thank you!
About a week ago I received a check in the mail with my name on it. It Looked legit I sign up from time to time online for class action lawsuits and have had checks mailed to me for participating in the class action lawsuits. So when I received this check didn’t think much of it. Cause I’ve had checks mailed and they were good … So I endorsed the check to my friend to deposit for me since I didn’t have a real bank account aswell as an ID … It cleared was able to withdraw the funds. But now the bank returned the check and my friends account is overdrawn. He received a letter from the bank with a copy of the check that says fictional. Starting to fill fishy about it aswell as my friends account is now overdrawn what do I do to get it rite …. Willing to pay it back but don’t wanna deal with court system for something I unwillingly didn’t know about.
Aloha Eric – Mahalo for your comment. We would recommend working with your friend and his financial institution to find out what needs to be done to remedy this situation. If you ever receive a check that you weren’t expecting, you may want to seek the advice of a financial institution prior to depositing to see if the check is legitimate.
Hi I run a pressure wash company and had someone text me about a job, I went to the house and sent them a quote. They want to email me a check for 2500$ more than my quote so I can pay the ex owner of the house their remaining fees for buying the house. I feel like it’s a scam
Aloha Hayden – It is almost always a red flag when someone tries to send you more money than they owe, and asks you to send money somewhere else. We would recommend being cautious in a situation like this one. Always trust your gut instinct when something doesn’t seem right. You can always seek the advice of your financial institution as well, they are a great resource for you. Mahalo for reaching out!
Hi, I think i am in the process of being scammed. Two weeks ago I got a job (data entry), a strictly remote job. They told me to download Signal App for interview and hiring process. I did, and talked with the hiring manager, who explained everything about the job. (always over chat,not even a call or email). They emailed me $18500 to buy some software before starting the training for the job. I felt like this could be a scam so I went to my bank ask them questions about the check, and they said it looked correct. The following day by checking my account I’ve noticed my account was overdrawn by the same amount i deposited. I contacted the hiring manager to explain the overdrawn situation, He said he had no idea about what happened, that I would talk with the accountant and mailed me a physical check instead. The overdrawn were still there, so I contacted my bank and they said they would remove the fees. This morning, the hiring manager contacted to say he mailed out the physical check, it will arrive In 28-48 hours, then once I get the money I will have to send the money to some vendors. What should I do? Should I wait for the check to receive the money? Because after I did the deposit to my bank using mobile deposit, they asked me to send a screenshot, the money wasn’t yet available they asked me to use my money to buy a Apple gift card that they would reimburse me once the money available in my account.
Aloha Sasha – thank you for reaching out. From the information you have given, we think you are right to be concerned that this is a scam. Many of the red flags we talk about are mentioned in your scenario. We would recommend not continuing with purchasing the gift card and waiting for a reimbursement or waiting for payment by mail. If you do receive that physical check we recommend speaking to a supervisor/manager at your financial institution regarding this situation for their advice on what you should do next.
I am sure i was scammed by a freind about 3 weeks ago my ex who happens yo live in my house with me she yells me our freind wants yo know if i would mobile deposit a check he would write out to me and then withdraw the money from ATM, give the money to him and would pay me 50.00 well i did 3 times and then he closed his account and told the bank someone had stolen his banking info so the checks were all sent back for a total of 4000.00 and he will not pay back the money he owes me what can i do to get my money bank from this person i have kmown for years he wont answer his phone or contact me now he accussed me of vandelizing his car saying havnt i done enough to him i dont know anything about his car help me please
Aloha Grant – thank you for your comment regarding your situation. We are very sorry to hear that this has happened to you. We would recommend seeking legal advice in this particular situation for advice on how to proceed. Mahalo!
So I have recently gotten a DM from a guy saying he would like to use one of my instagram post as a “muse” for his artwork. He asked me for an email account he could send the check to, so I made a fake email just in case. He said his “client” was sending the check. I got the check and it’s a decent amount of money. How do I tell if it’s a scam or not? and What would happen if I did deposit it and
Aloha Haleigh – thank you for your comment. We’ve heard of this type of situation a few times before and it is usually associated with a scam. However, we do suggest you take the check to a manager at your financial institution (FI) and let them know about this situation and get their advice. If you deposit a check that is not legitimate, it could potentially result in you being responsible for the entire amount of that check along with fees needing to be paid back to the institution. Your FI will always be your best resource when you’re unsure. Mahalo!
Is it intelligent to sell your house to a cash home buyer?
Aloha Albertha – while selling a house to a cash buyer is not uncommon, we would suggest you seek the advice of a real estate professional to make sure all the proper steps are followed to protect you and the buyer. Mahalo for asking!