Overpayment and Fake Cheque Scams
A buyer, employer or tenant pays you too much and asks you to send the difference back. How overpayment and fake cheque scams work, why the money seems to clear, and how to protect yourself.
You are selling something online, renting a room, or starting a new job. The buyer, tenant or employer pays you, but by mistake, they say, they sent too much. Could you please send the difference back, or pay it on to their shipper or supplier? You do. Days later, the original payment disappears from your account. It was fake, and the money you sent was real.
How overpayment scams work
- A payment arrives for more than the agreed amount: a cheque, a transfer that is later reversed, a stolen card payment, or a fake payment alert.
- A plausible reason: a mistake, an extra amount for shipping, equipment money for a new job, a deposit for a "mover".
- A request to send the difference quickly, often to a third party, by transfer, mobile money, gift card or crypto.
- The original payment fails when the cheque bounces or the fraudulent payment is reversed.
- You are left owing the money you sent.
"Available" is not the same as "cleared". Banks may let you use cheque funds before they know whether the cheque is genuine. If it bounces, the bank takes the money back from you.
Where overpayment scams show up
| Situation | The story |
|---|---|
| Selling online | "I sent extra to cover my courier. Please pay them the difference." |
| Renting out a room | "My employer paid a year's rent by mistake. Please refund the extra." |
| New remote job | "Here is a cheque for equipment. Send most of it to our vendor." See work-from-home scams. |
| Mobile money | "I sent money to your number by mistake. Please send it back." The deposit was a fake text. |
| Mystery shopping | "Deposit this cheque, then test a money transfer service by sending it on." |
Illustrative example
- A buyer who pays much more than the price.
- A request to send money on to a third party.
- Urgency, and a buyer who cannot deal with the "removal company" themselves.
How to protect yourself
- Never send back an overpayment. Offer to cancel the sale or refund only once the payment has fully cleared, and return it by reversing the original payment through your bank.
- Check your real balance in your bank's official app, not a screenshot or an SMS alert. See how to check links in fake alerts.
- Ask your bank how long a cheque takes to clear fully, and whether it can confirm it is genuine.
- Accept only exact payments, through the marketplace's own checkout where possible.
- Be wary of third parties: shippers, movers, agents or vendors you are asked to pay on someone else's behalf.
If you have sent money
Contact your bank or payment provider immediately to try to stop the transfer, and tell them about the original payment. Keep all messages. Report the scam to the platform and your national service. Our first-hour checklist has the steps.
Been overpaid? Paste the message into CyberWatch AI Scan for a free check before you do anything.
Overpayment scams are sometimes used to recruit people as money mules. For more warning signs, read how to spot online scams.
Frequently asked questions
The money showed in my account. Doesn't that mean the cheque cleared?
Not necessarily. Banks often make funds available before a cheque has fully cleared. If it later turns out to be fake, the bank reverses it, and you are responsible for the money you spent or sent.
Can overpayment scams happen without cheques?
Yes. Fake payment screenshots, fake bank alert messages and stolen card payments are also used. Always check your actual account balance in the official app, and wait for payments to settle fully.
What should I do if someone overpays me?
Do not send any money back. Tell your bank, wait until it confirms the payment has fully cleared and is genuine, and if needed, return the payment itself rather than sending a new transfer.
Sources
- How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams, US Federal Trade Commission
- Buying From an Online Marketplace, US Federal Trade Commission
- Job Scams, US Federal Trade Commission
