# Fake-check scam

> A fake-check scam (also called the overpayment scam) sends you a real-looking check or transfer before you have done any work, asks you to deposit it and send a portion back or buy gift cards, then reverses the original payment days later. Because banks make deposited funds available before verifying them, you end up owing your bank the full amount.

Source: https://realjobcheck.com/glossary/fake-check-scam/  
Updated: 2026-06-02 - Real Job Check Trust and Safety Research Team

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## What it is

The fake-check scam exploits a gap in how banking works: a deposited check or transfer is made *available* in your account within a day or two, but it can be *verified* as fraudulent weeks later. During that window, the scammer gets you to send your own real money, betting that the fake payment will not be discovered until it is too late.

## How it reaches you

You are "hired" fast, often for a remote or assistant role. The employer sends money "to cover equipment" or as an advance, then asks you to keep a slice and forward the rest to a vendor, a coworker, a crypto wallet, or as gift cards. Your bank shows the funds, so it feels legitimate.

## The tell

Receiving money before you have worked, and any instruction to receive a payment and send part of it onward. No legitimate payroll ever works this way.

## What to do

Do not deposit, spend, or forward anything. If you already deposited, call your bank, say you suspect a counterfeit check or fraudulent transfer, and ask them to return it. Report to the [FTC](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/) and follow the [recovery checklist](/answers/i-already-gave-a-scammer-my-information/). Full detail: [a job wants to pay me before I start](/answers/job-paying-before-you-start-work/).