How can a check payable to you be a scam? You're receiving, not giving.

I have a Chase Visa card and get rewards back. So my guess is nope, not a scam.

https://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-topics/unsolicited-checks#:~:text=Don't%20Cash%20That%20Check,you%20took%20to%20the%20bank.

I looked up can a check in the mail be a scam and the answer is yes apparently. I would not cash the check!

There is nothing in the letter that binds jkayd to anything except accepting the money.

I don't know the answer, but if you literally never used the card, it seems unlikely you would have earned rewards. $83 seems like a significant reward for minimal use. If it's legit, there should be a phone number on the letter that you could call to get the specifics. I personally would probably toss it for fear that it was sent in error and they'd come looking for their 83 bucks someday, but I'm a skeptic by nature.

Call Chase and ask them.

My parents are in Canada and had a similar cheque about a year ago. They were going to throw it in the garbage, but took it to their bank (no Chase, obviously as we don't have that...) and were told that yes! it's a real cheque. They called my sister and told her that she will probably get one too, and not to toss it. Best thing to do if you get a cheque from your bank is take it to your bank to see if it's real.

There is a common scam that involves checks. If you advertised to sell ot rent something, even give lessons, the scammer, always far away from your location, sends a check, even a fake cashier's check, for way more than the price greed. You are told to cash the check and then send the overage to the spammer. It;s a bad check, you are stuck. This does not appear to be that common scam, which is usually for much more money.

I'd call Chase.

Then it's not a simple check.

As suggested by eld and raee, simply call Chase or take it to a branch, if possible.

Please let us know what you find out.

Take it to the bank and deposit it. How could that be a scam on you??? Anytime anyone asks you to send back some...THAT'S just stupid so ya that would be a scam....

A LOT of cards offer you money to open the account. If you never spent the money, then it would still be there. Hence the check they sent you. Go ahead and cash it.

Call just to be on the safe side and have piece of mind. If it's legit treat yourself to dinner.

Call Chase directly. Do not call the number on the letter.

I'd be wary too, but I don't think you necessarily need to contact Chase - you could also simply call or take it to your current bank and ask them. Is it just the final digits of that account you have? Chase may not help you if you can't provide the entire number.

Are you positive you have no record at all of that Chase account number?

FDIC Consumer News: Beware of Fake Checks

https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/august2019.html

I had some issues with Chase when trying to settle my mothers estate - her bank of choice. I found them somewhat difficult to deal with just like my atty had warned me I might ;) I did get about three small checks related to a credit card she hadn't used in years, but none approaching that amount - in fact, one (that I still have) was for $0.75. Yes, cents.

Somewhere along the line you will get a nice voice and real person if calling their customer service and I'm another who would say do not use a number that came with the check. If you have a convenient branch near you, go in person. I did not have a Chase branch in this community, closest was 55 miles away. I must have made a half dozen drives there before all was resolved as her legal POA and executor named in her will.

The warnings linked above are scams such as an unexpected check for an inheritance or lottery winnings that requires upfront payment of taxes/fees, receipt of a check as payment for a sale item but it's an overpayment and the scammer asks for the excess returned in cash, or a "gift" check that triggers a service or subscription via a contract agreement through the endorsement. The OP hasn't said if the third scenario is apparent to his/her situation.

It could be a scam if a perpetrator is aiming to access the OP's deposit bank account via the account and routing number which possibly could be had from the endorsement and/or bank processing details printed on the cleared check. Every check cashed or deposited carries that risk.

As others have advised, jakyd_il5 should call Chase to confirm the refund is legitimate. If they ask for information that he/she can no longer recall or provide, then shred the check and nothing substantial is lost. I imagine Chase has bunches of telephone numbers. Two that I find are 800-935-9935 (Chase Customer Service) and 800-432-3117 (Credit Card Customer Service). (The number on my Chase card is different than either of those, probably related to the type of rewards card is it.)

It wasn't an overpayment. I'm sure of that. I'm thinking it is for rewards gifts I never took advantage of because you had to pay shipping. I'm going to the bank today.

jakyd, that sounds like a good plan. I didn't give you more detail but when I called my atty for direction when we lost Mom, he went through the steps I had to take and said with an estate of $100,000 or less, he thought I could handle it myself. Gave me a rough idea of what I'd need to do and forwarded a couple of forms. Then he asked me which bank I'd be dealing with and when I said Chase, he said 'Oh, No'. 'They are just about the worst for expecting cooperation. Call me back if you need my help after all'. I managed but with some frustrations along the way.

jkayd_il5, the overpayment is a scenario in which you are selling an item via Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace or some such venue. The buyer presents a cashier's check or other check payment for more than the sale price. You tell them the check is too much. They feign innocence at the mistake and instead of replacing the wrong check with a new check of the correct amount, they ask you to go ahead and cash the check and give them the overage amount (in cash), which you do. They load up your item that they've bought and go along on their way. Turns out later the too-large check is fake or bounces. You're out the sale item and the cash overage that you gave to the buyer.

That's not the situation with your Chase refund check. You're not selling anything to Chase.

morz8, my dad died last year. There were accumulated reward points on one of his credit cards (not Chase) that had been redeemed for a statement credit but no purchases could legally be made after his death to use the credit (he was the sole-owner/holder on that card acct). I called to close the account, the phone rep noted the credit balance, said it will be refunded but takes 4 to 6 billing cycles to process. I still have (or had, haven't looked in a while) online access to check the balance. It cleared to zero after a few more statement cycles, presumably to a holding-account from which the refund will be issued ... hopefully, eventually.

dadoes, I'm going through something similar. I'm the executor of a deceased friend's estate and am waiting on receiving cash for her accumulated rewards points from American Express. They said it would take several months.