[Centurion2000]

The money order, which can take over a week to clear the financial institution, later turns out to be bogus.

If it's bogus it will never clear.

[fanfan]

That won’t stop people from accepting them as legal tender.

;-)

[Star Traveler]

You said — “If it’s bogus it will never clear.”

Well, it depends on what you mean by “clear”. The bank will tell you that it did “clear”. It may have passed the amount of time that they “tell you” that they allow for it to clear. And yet, it can come back and “hit you” a month later, anyway — even after they’ve told you it cleared (at the bank).

So, it *can appear* that it has cleared and you can also get the bank to tell you that it’s cleared — and it can still come back on you.

Regards,
Star Traveler

[Myrddin]

If it's bogus it will never clear.

The scam depends on getting the fool to "send the difference" before the "check" is determined to be bogus. I have one of those checks sent to "buy" my Porsche 914. It was an obvious bogus job printed on an inkjet color printer. I didn't even waste the gas to take it to the bank.