This turned out to be a twist on the Nigerian check cashing scam -- I think. Long story short -- I was "sold" a life insurance policy from the Great West Life Assurance Company of Canada. I was told that I could cash out the policy right away, for a small fee, and then pay it back over time. I was sent a check from the Great West Life Assurance Company for $45,000. The check looked official, the phone numbers all worked, the address matched the website address, the bank didn't question it when I deposited it -- everything seemed ok to me.
The money hits my bank account and I start using it to pay off all of my credit card debts. I'm not spending friviously or buying new things, just paying off my old debts. Then I log online to my bank one day and see that my account is $38,000 overdrawn -- I think I nearly died right then! Then check had come back as counterfeit.
At this point I am scared to death -- I have now spent all of this money and after researching on the internet I find out that I am going to be liable for it. The bank called a few times and left messages -- said they were going to refer it to the Secret Service. It has been almost a year since then and I am finally digging out of the hole I was in (b/c my account was closed with all the other money I had in there). Yesterday I get a letter from a lawyer that the bank wants to collect. I haven't heard from the secret service yet. I have no idea what to do -- but I am scared to contact anyone about it.
What am I supposed to do? My bank was Wachovia.
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