Checks for thousands of dollars coming across one’s desk would normally be a good thing.

But for DeKalb Police Detective Angel Reyes, the checks aren’t real, and they aren’t addressed to him.

Instead, these fraudulent checks are part of a sweepstakes scam using DeKalb businesses’ names and bank accounts to con the victim to cash a fake check and wire the scam artist money.

Three local businesses have been manipulated so far. The victims have been from out of the area, and no locally mailed checks have been reported, Reyes said.

The con requires the scam artist to have taken control of a checking account, in these cases the DeKalb business’, to make the check and offer look real, Reyes said. The check will contain a name similar to that of the business, and the business’ bank account and routing numbers.

It is unknown how the scam artists are getting the businesses’ name and account numbers, but it could be from previous checks the businesses have written, Reyes said.

The scam starts when the victim receives the check in the mail with an announcement saying they have won a sweepstakes in a different county, in some cases Canada, Reyes said.

To receive the money, the victim is told they need to cash the check and wire the money before the funds will be released.

The check will also be for more money than they are asked to wire, making it more appealing to the victim, Reyes said.

A week after the check has been cashed and money is wired, the victim will normally find out the check was fake, and they now owe the bank money. By having a third party cash the check and wire the money, scam artists are keep hands clean and still get the funds, Reyes said.

“They play on the fact that everyone wants to know they won something. Even though these people in 100 percent of the cases never entered any sweepstakes, that’s not the motivating factor,” Reyes said. “It’s that they can see themselves getting money — getting money for doing nothing.”

Reyes believes the scam artists work out of Canada, and could be using people in the U.S. to help move the letters or make them appear more legitimate. In some cases, the check amounts have been high, so police are trying to get the Secret Service involved, he said.

Those who receive checks they think are fraudulent are encouraged to check it with the bank or local police departments.

“If people who receive these don’t go cash them, we won’t have this fraud. They won’t make money,” Reyes said. “If they aren’t making money, they have to find a new scam.”

Even though they may start out as a victim, those who cash these checks with the knowledge they are fake can face charges, said DeKalb Police Lt. Gary Spangler.

“If they knowingly cashed a counterfeit check for their financial gain, we’re certainly going to pursue prosecution,” Spangler said. “The individual needs to take some responsibility for their actions; some of this is common sense.”

Being asked to send some of the money elsewhere is a common indicator this offer is a scam, said a local fraud investigator who wished to remain anonymous.

The letter the check is sent in can also have indicators that it’s a scam, including the Canadian postmark, misspellings in the check or different sizes on the numbers of the check, the fraud investigator said.

“You don’t win the lottery and the check comes in the businesses’ name,” the investigator said. “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. That’s the most important thing for a consumer to understand.”

Those wiring the money are still responsible for paying the bank, though they started as victims, the investigator said.