SCT Logistics CO. Sent letter and check to be activated for secret shopper part time job Beaverton Oregon

Sorry to tell you but you got scammed and really sorry to tell you but your troubles are just beginning.

You legally owe the money to the bank.  If you fail to pay the bank back, the bank can(and probably will) close your account.  Report you to ChexSystems for fraud(which is what you did..more on that in a minute).  Once that happens you will not be able to open another account at another regular bank for many years to come.  If you still fail to pay them back they will turn you over to a Collection Agency, and may eventually file suit against you.      In a worst case scenerio they may turn you over to the local District Attorney's Office and procecute you for Check Fraud.

So it is to your advantage to contact your bank ASAP..probably go in and talk to the manager.   Then see if the manager can help you out by putting you on some sort of repayment plan.   If you get lucky..there is even an outside(very outside) chance that the manger would waive some of the delinquence..but DON'T count on it.

Now as to what happened.  These scams have been going on for decades, and they rely on peoples greed.  Yes it was greed, unless you really thought you were going to "earn" about $400 for what in reality is no more than 30-60 minutes worth of work.   Unfortunatly you also totally ignored all of the warning signs.  This included the fact that you were dealing with someone in Spain.  But also the BIG factor that right on the Money Transfer forms you filled out Western Union specifically warns you about these type of scams.  They also rely on banking regulations that require funds to be made available before the check actually "clears".  In fact the check was probably was real..it was just stolen.    While you didn't mention it the next issue is that the company the check was probably not from the same address that you were dealing with.

You unfortunatly will never find these people.  The names are fake(as you probably have figured out since they used your last name).  If you talked to them on the phone they are using pre-paid cell phones paid for with stolen credit card numbers.  Give it about 30 days and the number will no longer be answered.   If they gave you a US address..it does not exist or it is to a business that has nothing to do with this scam.  Oh and the biggest part..they are not even in the US.

Now, as to why it could be fraud.  The simple fact is that when you present a check you repesent it as good.  This is also why you are responsible if it turns out to be bad.   But if the check comes back stolen/counterfeit, if it could be seen that it would be reasonable that you should know this they may have grounds to say you knew it was a fradulent check.

Again..sorry and hope it all works out.  But this is not something that is going to just go away.