The Department of Homeland Security cashier check hoax

If you receive an email stating that the New York Office of the Department of Homeland Security is holding a cashier’s check for you, it is a hoax. It will request that you divulge personal information, and might even request that you send money as a “deposit” before receiving the bogus check. Here is a sample of what the hoax email might look like:

From Department of HomeLand Security, New York

We have intercepted a cashier check issued in your name. The check was intercepted by our officers at the J F Kennedy International Airport New York while the cashier check was about being smuggled out of USA and was brought to our office. The cashier check is currently with us at our Office Annex in New York.

To enable us confirm and verify the check as yours, kindly give us your full name, your contact address, telephone/fax number. Inform us if you where processing to receive any fund? If yes, what is the amount of Fund/cashier check/bank draft or money order you were processing to receive?

As soon as we hear from you, if the name and details on the cashier check corresponds with your name and details as you will give us, we will contact you again for the verification and release of the check to you otherwise if the name and details you give us does not in any way correspond with the name on the cashier check, we will not contact you again.

Senior citizens in particular are victims of hoaxes like this, so be sure to share this alert with your elderly friends and family members. If you receive an email like this, you can report it to to the Federal Trade Commission at [email protected].

Sources:

DHS.gov