UKFCU Fraud Awareness Center - Counterfeit Documents

Counterfeit Postal Money Orders

An alarming number of counterfeit U.S. Postal Money Orders have surfaced in the Lexington area. The counterfeit money orders most commonly surface from Internet activities, such as in the selling of merchandise or even searching for a roommate. Often, a member will sell an item on the internet and the buyer will mail, or ship via UPS, FedEx, or DHL, four (4) or more counterfeit U.S. Postal Money Orders. Typically the individual money orders are in denominations ranging from $700 to $1,000. The combined total of the money orders far exceeds the purchase price of the item sold. The buyer will then request that the member wire the overage back to them. Once the member has wired the excess money back to the buyer and shipped the merchandise, within a few days the member's account will be debited for the amount of the counterfeit money orders. Thus, the member incurs losses for the loss of the merchandise and the total combined amount of the U.S. Postal Money orders. The losses are typically in the thousands of dollars.

Please use caution when conducting activities on the internet involving the exchange of money. If you receive any questionable form of payment, please call us at (859) 264-4200. For more information on counterfeit money orders please click on the websites below:

U.S. Postal Inspectors website

Display the security features of authentic U.S. Postal Money Orders