Several individuals and institutions have recently reported receiving fraudulent checks from various large academic institutions, including MIT. These fraudulent checks appear to have been issued in a check overpayment scam. This scam targets consumers using the Internet and mails them fake "bank-issued" checks in the consumer's name, usually through overnight mail. Should these fraudulent checks be cashed, they will eventually bounce, leaving the person who cashed the check liable for any purchases or actions taken after the initial deposit.
Please be cautious if you have received a check that appears to be issued by MIT, or from any MIT Affiliate, for funds that you do not expect you should be receiving from MIT. We request that anyone who has received such a check call MIT at (617) 253-4136 and leave a message.
For further information regarding check fraud variations please review the posting below from the Federal Trade Commission of the United States at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre40.shtm.
