We know of at least 400 escorts who have been emailed by someone outside the UK who asks for a booking for while he's next over here. A good price is agreed and the client offers to pay in advance by cheque...

... then he asks the escort to accept a larger cheque than the agreed amount, with the escort paying the balance into another account (said to be a charity in one case). Some excuse about this being easier for him is offered.

It's a con - don't fall for it!

What will happen is that you will receive a large cheque, and pay it into your bank account. After a day or so, your bank will credit your account. But after you pay the balance into another account, your bank will be told that the cheque was stolen or forged and they will withdraw all of the money from your account.

This will leave you having lost all the money you have paid into someone else's account - which will have been emptied by the conman! Of course, he won't turn up for his booking either...

Be very very cautious about accepting cheques from abroad. Within the UK, banks agree to notify each other if there is a problem with a cheque within a week. But with a cheque from abroad, it takes longer. Your bank may credit your account sooner than that... but they reserve the right to take the money back again, no matter what you've done with it in the meantime.

In another case, the client was based in the UK, and sent the escort a UK cheque (from Halifax bank, this time). Of course, the cheque bounced and, although he hadn't paid out any money to the conman, he's still being charged by his bank for the costs of the bounced cheque.

Had some of those spam emails offering jobs processing payments?

Same thing. You'll receive some cheques, pay them into your bank and send off money - minus their generous 'commission' - to the conmen via a payment service like Western Union. Shortly afterwards, your bank will find out the cheques are no good and take the money back.

But by then, the conmen will have disappeared with the money you sent them.