Fake Craigslist overpayment and fake-check scams

A Craigslist “buyer” sends a cashier’s check, money order, or corporate check for more than your asking price, then asks you to refund the difference—by wire, Zelle, Cash App, Venmo Friends & Family, or gift cards—before the instrument fully clears. Funds can look available at Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, or a credit union for days, then the check returns unpaid and you are short whatever you already forwarded. This page is the overpayment / fake-check lane; irreversible wire and fake-escrow cousins live in Fake Craigslist wire scams. Platform-checkout overpayment cousins: Fake eBay buyer overpayment scams.

Broader map: Credit and debt scams. Gift-card extracts: Gift cards and prepaid debit risks. General fake-check patterns: Fake overpayment check scams.

How the overpayment script works

Craigslist’s own safety guidance warns against accepting overpayments. Treat any “extra” as a hard stop—even if the PDF looks like a real credit-union cashier’s check.

Red flags specific to overpayment

• Asking price is local and small; payment arrives from out of state for a much larger amount.
• Buyer will not do cash at a public meetup and insists on a mailed check first.
• “Shipping company,” “moving crew,” or “procurement office” needs the difference wired same day.
• Pressure to refund before your bank confirms the check has fully cleared (posted availability is not clearance).
• Refusal to use in-person payment when the listing is marked local pickup.

Worked example: the $400 lawn mower

Jordan lists a used lawn mower for $400 on Craigslist. “Pat” emails a PDF of a $1,050 cashier’s check drawn on a credit union Jordan does not recognize, says a logistics contractor will pick up, and asks Jordan to wire or Zelle $650 change. Jordan deposits the check at Wells Fargo; $1,050 shows as available after two business days. Jordan wires $650. Ten days later the check is returned unpaid. Jordan is out roughly $650 (plus any fees) while the wire is gone—and if the mower was handed over, that too.

Jordan’s recovery path: call the bank fraud desk the same day; ask about a wire recall (often unsuccessful once paid out); report through Craigslist’s flag tools and ReportFraud.ftc.gov; file a local police report if needed for the bank’s claim file; do not pay a “recovery specialist” who cold-calls afterward. Safer path: cash only at a police-station lot, exact asking price, no third-party refunds.

Safer seller habits

1. Prefer in-person cash (or a platform checkout that holds funds when one exists) for local Craigslist deals.
2. Never accept a check for more than the agreed price. Never refund “extras.”
3. If you must take a check, wait until your bank confirms final clearance—not provisional credit—before releasing the item or sending any money.
4. Keep negotiations in Craigslist email/relay until meetup; be wary of rapid off-platform switches paired with overpayment.
5. Ignore buyers who will only deal through Western Union, MoneyGram, crypto ATMs, or gift cards.

Named brands that appear in these scripts include Craigslist, Western Union, MoneyGram, Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, Apple / Google Play gift cards, and mobile-deposit flows at major banks and credit unions. Logos on a PDF do not make the instrument good.

If you already refunded an overpayment

1. Contact your bank or credit union’s fraud line immediately; ask about recalls and provisional-credit disputes.
2. For Western Union / MoneyGram, call their fraud lines the same day—intercepts sometimes work if uncollected.
3. Preserve the ad, emails, check images, and wire receipts.
4. File ReportFraud.ftc.gov and consider a police report for large losses.
5. Monitor accounts; consider freezes at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion if you shared ID images.

Checklist

1. Exact price only—refuse any overpayment story.
2. Local listing → prefer local cash; no mailed checks for small consumer goods.
3. Availability ≠ cleared; never refund on provisional funds.
4. Skip wires, gift cards, and Friends & Family P2P for Craigslist strangers.
5. Document everything; report clear scams even when you walked away.
6. Teach household members the same overpayment rule for Marketplace and OfferUp.

Gumtree overpayment cousins: Fake Gumtree overpayment scams. Nextdoor neighbor-board overpayment cousins: Fake Nextdoor overpayment scams. Facebook Buy/Sell Group overpayment cousins: Fake Facebook Buy/Sell overpayment scams.

Educational only. Not legal, banking, or fraud-recovery advice. Platform policies and bank clearance windows vary; verify payment safety pages on Craigslist and with your own bank.