Overpayment / Fake Check Scam
Also known as: fake check scam, overpayment fraud, wire difference scam
Someone sends you a check for more than an agreed amount and asks you to wire the difference to someone else. You deposit the check, wire the money, and a week later the check bounces — leaving you liable for the full amount.
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How it works
The fake check scam exploits a quirk of U.S. banking law: banks are required to make funds 'available' within 1-2 days of deposit, but the check itself doesn't clear for 1-2 weeks. This gap is what scammers exploit.
The setup: A scammer contacts you with a reason to send you money — you're selling something on Craigslist/Facebook Marketplace, you've 'won' a job, you're hired as a personal assistant, you've been offered a mystery shopper gig. They promise to send a check for more than expected.
The reason for the overage: 'I'm going to send $2,500 — $1,500 for the item, and $1,000 for the shipping company you'll need to pay' or 'Deposit this $3,000 check, keep $500 for your first week's pay, and Western Union $2,500 to our vendor.'
The urgency: 'Deposit the check today, wire the money ASAP so I can finalize the order / so you can start work / so we don't lose the contract.'
The bounce: You deposit the check. The bank makes funds available. You wire the excess as instructed. 7-14 days later, the check bounces. The bank reverses the deposit and debits your account for the full amount. The money you wired is gone forever — you sent it to a scammer. You're now out the wired amount PLUS potentially overdraft fees and the check amount.
Common variants: Fake job offers ('administrative assistant'), Craigslist buyer scams, apartment rental scams, mystery shopper gigs.
Warning signs
- ⚠Someone sends you more money than agreed and asks you to refund the difference
- ⚠Payment via cashier's check, money order, or wire
- ⚠Urgency to wire the excess before the check clears
- ⚠Work-from-home job that sends you a check before your first day
- ⚠Craigslist buyer paying too much 'by accident'
- ⚠Request to use Western Union, MoneyGram, or gift cards to refund
- ⚠Seller asking you to handle shipping payments through the overage
- ⚠Any transaction where you're asked to move money based on a deposited check
Who does this target?
Where does it happen?
What to do if you've encountered this
- 1.Stop all contact with the scammer immediately. Do not respond, do not send more money, do not try to "reason" with them.
- 2.Document everything — screenshots of conversations, phone numbers, email addresses, websites, and any transaction details.
- 3.If money was sent, contact your bank immediately. Wire and ACH reversals are measured in hours, not days.
- 4.Report the scam to the appropriate agencies:
Warning: After any scam, watch out for "recovery scammers" who promise to get your money back for an upfront fee. They are always a second scam. See our recovery scam warning guide.
Related scam patterns
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
Scammers impersonate executives, vendors, or clients via email to trick businesses into wiring large sums of money or disclosing sensitive information. BEC is the most financially damaging category of scam targeting businesses, with average losses per incident exceeding $125,000.
Fake Job Offer Scam
Scammers post fake job listings or directly contact job seekers with too-good-to-be-true offers. After a fake 'interview,' victims are asked to pay for equipment, deposit fake checks, provide personal information for 'onboarding,' or unknowingly act as money mules.
Rental Scam
Scammers post fake rental listings for apartments or houses that don't exist or they don't own. Desperate renters pay application fees, security deposits, or first month's rent — and then discover the listing was fake.
