My bakery fell prey to a counterfeit check scam. Running a small business is hard enough without having to navigate fraud. [Video]

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Loria Stern, who owns Eat Your Flowers, which fell victim to a counterfeit check scam last month.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

We were all excited when a last-minute, big order came through — a $7,500 order of 1,000 cupcakes is significant for a small business like mine.

These kinds of orders don’t come through too often, probably about five times a year.

The order seemed legitimate; they gave a lot of details about what they wanted.

I always prepare my team by saying that if we have a large pending order, we only start work on it once we get the deposit or they pay in full.

They sent the check by priority mail, and the funds went through, so I told my team, “It’s go time!”

We all went into the bakery on a Friday, …