A "client" sends an overpayment check and asks you to wire back the difference
A stranger pays for your services with a check larger than agreed, claims it was a mistake, and urgently asks you to wire back the excess. The check bounces days or weeks later, leaving you liable to your bank for the full amount you sent.
Also known as: fake check scam, overpayment scam, overpayment check fraud, childcare check scam, freelancer overpayment scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Never send any money back from a deposited check until the check is fully verified final by your bank — ask specifically when the funds are non-provisional
- 2 If anyone who 'overpaid' you by check asks you to send back the difference, stop — that IS the scam; hang up or stop responding
- 3 If you already sent money back, contact your bank immediately to report the fraud and ask if any recovery is possible
- 4 Wait a minimum of two weeks after depositing any check from a stranger before spending or forwarding any of the funds
- 5 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ The check is for more than the agreed amount — any overpayment is a sure sign of a scam
- ⚠ They create urgency: 'please send the difference back today' before you can verify the check is real
- ⚠ They ask you to return the excess by wire transfer, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, gift cards, or cryptocurrency — methods that can't be reversed
- ⚠ They claim to be moving from overseas and need your services immediately
- ⚠ A legitimate client who overpaid by check would simply cancel the check and send a new one — not ask you to wire money back
- ⚠ Even when your bank says the check 'cleared,' that is only provisional credit — the check can still bounce for up to 2–3 weeks