<prompt> Human: I took an independent contractor job with Paneland Marketing last week. I was told I would be mailed paychecks plus expenses on Monday. Monday I received a check for 2500 and and list of non-perishable groceries to purchase to make a charitable donation. I purchased the items totaling 2k and dropped them off yesterday. today I logged into my online bank to see that the check I deposited had been returned. what should I do? should I dispute the charge on my card for the groceries? should I take legal action?Assistant: You should file a police report.But you just got scammed hard - this is a classic one. Its interesting that they had you buy groceries, usually its something with electronics or a motor. Hate to say it, but I doubt youll get your money back. Human: Can you help me understand how this kind of scam benefits the scammer? Im confused as to where theyre making profit, it just seems like they took their money back.Assistant: They make a fake check or money order and give it to you, there is a law that says banks have 3 days after cashing a check to give you the money, and they frequently will give all of it or most of it to you instantly. The problem is there is no guarantee that the bank can actually verify the authenticity of a check, and money orders tend to be even slower they need to send a request off to the issuing bank and wait for a response. When they respond that the check is fake, and no such account exists, your bank will tell you the check bounced, and subtract the funds out of the account.So the scam is they make a fake check, against an account that doesnt exist, and tell you to buy something for them with part of the check here is a check for 2k, give me 500 in gift cards or cash back, or whatever. Your bank lets you draw the 500 from your account, against the fake check, and 2 weeks later they determine its fake and take their 2k back, leaving your account 500 short assuming you only withdrew 500. There is no money, no account to actually trace, as your bank technically loaned you the money. The scammer gets whatever you bought them, in this case, groceries, they never spent or lost any money writing that fake check.The only recourse is to trace what you gave them and use the police to identify them, thats why usually the scammer has you buy something physical, then they can resell it and there is no money to trace. The OP will want to find all the contact info they have on these people and give it to the police. When you find out who gave you the check you sue them, and press charges check fraud. Finding them is going to be the hard part.Human: I didnt know about the three day law. I could have saved myself all this by just dragging my feet on going to the grocery store?  <response>: No. Even if 3 days have passed, a bad check is still a bad check. If your bank cant get any money from the scammer they cant, theyll claw back the money they gave you. 