Someone “accidentally” pays you too much: a buyer of your couch, a new remote employer, a rental applicant, or a mystery-shopper contact. Pure “application fee first” rental cons without a fake check are covered in Fake apartment application fee scams. Fake storage-auction deposits and “refund the overbid” scripts: Fake storage-unit auction scams. They ask you to deposit the check, keep what you are owed, and wire, Zelle, Cash App, gift-card, or crypto the “extra” back. The check later bounces. Your bank reverses the deposit. The money you sent is gone, and you may owe the bank the full amount.
This is the same bounce-and-forward trap as fake job and check-cashing scams, aimed at sellers and anyone who receives a too-large payment. It sits next to Credit and debt scams and phishing / account takeover.
How the play works
- Contact arrives by marketplace message, email, text, or “HR” chat (Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, LinkedIn, WhatsApp).
- A check, cashier’s check, money order, or mobile-deposit image arrives for more than the agreed price.
- Urgency: “I already mailed the check,” “my assistant overpaid,” “ship today,” “refund the difference so I can pay the mover.”
- You deposit at Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, or a credit union. The app shows funds in one to two days.
- You send the “overage” by irreversible method.
- Days or weeks later the item is returned unpaid. The bank claws back the deposit.
A check that “clears” quickly is often still provisional. Banks can reverse counterfeit or NSF instruments after you have already spent the money.
Common scripts
| Pitch | What they ask you to send | Tell |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace buyer overpays | Wire or Zelle the difference for “shipping” or “mover” | Real buyers do not overpay on purpose |
| Rental applicant “security + first + pet” oversized check | Refund excess so they can book a flight | Fake cashier’s check; unit never occupied |
| Employer / mystery shopper stipend | Gift cards or crypto to a “vendor” | Same structure as job/check scams |
| “Lawyer / inheritance / grant” overpayment | Keep a fee; remit the rest | Classic advance-fee cousin (Advance-fee loan scams) |
| Refund for a product you never sold | Deposit then return funds via P2P | You never had a real transaction |
Gift-card and prepaid demands are a hard stop: Gift cards and prepaid debit risks. P2P “friends and family” refunds: Zelle and P2P scams. Prize “tax” or insurance fees paid the same way: Fake lottery and prize scams.
Worked example: the $2,400 sofa sale
Alex lists a sofa for $650 on Facebook Marketplace. “Jordan” sends a $2,400 cashier’s-check photo and says a moving crew needs the extra $1,750 wired same day; Alex can keep $650.
Alex deposits at Bank of America. Available balance jumps in two days. Alex wires $1,750 to a name that does not match “Jordan.” Ten days later the check is returned unpaid. BofA reverses $2,400. The wire is gone. Alex’s account is $2,400 short until Alex covers it, plus possible fees.
If Alex had insisted on cash, in-person debit, or a verified bank transfer that fully settled before release, and refused any overpayment, the loss would not happen.
Hard rules before you deposit
- Never refund an overpayment until your bank confirms in writing that the funds are final (not merely “available”). Ask how long that instrument type can still reverse.
- Prefer in-person cash, official cashier’s check verified at the issuing bank’s branch, or a platform’s held payment (PayPal Goods and Services, marketplace checkout), not a photo of a check.
- Do not send gift-card codes, crypto, wire, or P2P to “fix” a stranger’s mistake.
- Call your bank or credit union using the number on your card or the official site, not a number in the scammer’s email.
- If the story involves a job, treat it as a fake job / check-cashing scam or a job offer deposit scam and stop.
If you already deposited or sent money
- Call your bank’s fraud line immediately; report the check and any outgoing wire/P2P.
- File a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and with local police if asked for a case number.
- If a wire went out, ask the bank about a recall (often unsuccessful once claimed).
- Freeze or monitor accounts if you shared SSN, ID photos, or online banking credentials (Phishing and account takeover).
- Do not send a second payment to “unlock” or “recover” the first loss; that is a follow-on scam.
Checklist
- Agreed price in writing; refuse unexpected overpayments.
- No refunds until the deposit is final per your bank, not just available.
- No gift cards, crypto, wire, or P2P to strangers who overpaid.
- Verify cashier’s checks at the issuing bank’s official branch when possible.
- Report attempts even when you did not lose money; patterns help others.
Wire-first Craigslist and Marketplace variants (no check): Fake Craigslist wire scams.
Closing-week emails that change escrow wiring instructions are a different irreversible-send trap: Fake escrow wire instruction scams.
Scammers sometimes attach a fake notary stamp to overpayment or “release” paperwork: Fake notarized document scams.
Marketplace-specific overpayment and fake-buyer scripts on Meta: Fake Facebook Marketplace scams.
Cash App–specific fake deposit and overpayment screenshots (no paper check): Fake Cash App deposit scams.
Private-party car ads that push a fake escrow website instead of a local title handoff: Fake car seller escrow scams.
Online sellers who demand PayPal Friends & Family instead of Goods & Services (protection stripped): PayPal G&S switch scams.
eBay sellers facing overpayment refunds and fake Managed Payments screenshots: Fake eBay buyer overpayment scams.
Educational only. Not legal, banking, or fraud-recovery advice. Bank hold policies and provisional credit rules vary.