WESLACO - A Hidalgo County man is grateful he didn’t fall victim to a phony check scheme.

Weslaco resident Felix Robledo said he received a check for $1,821 in the mail last month.

The money was a payment to take part in a Wal-Mart survey research. The letter also asked him to wire $1,471 to the company going the research.

Robledo said he later became suspicious.

“I went over to the police station and let them know. They explained that it was a fraud,” he said. “I couldn’t really report it as a crime because I didn’t cash the check. I didn’t get scam out of it.”

Dolores Salinas with the Better Business Bureau said these fraudulent checks are common. She said the check sent would have bounced.

Salinas added people should consult with their bank if they feel they’ve received a fraud check.