A deposit appears in your banking app. The person who sent it now wants a small refund, perhaps because they supposedly paid too much. The balance on the screen can make the request seem reasonable. Before sending anything, establish what that balance actually tells you.
The US Federal Trade Commission explains that banks may make funds available before discovering that a cheque is fake. Availability is therefore not proof that the payment is genuine. Its fake-cheque guidance describes requests to return money or pay another person as common features of these scams. Banking rules vary internationally, so ask your own institution about your deposit rather than applying a timetable found online.
Keep the two transactions separate in your mind
Imagine selling a second-hand desk. The buyer sends a cheque for more than the agreed price and asks you to pay a courier. You would be making a separate outgoing payment from your account. If the incoming cheque is later rejected, the courier payment does not automatically disappear with it. This is an illustrative scenario, not a report about a particular bank.
- Contact your bank using its app, card number or independently verified website.
- Explain the overpayment request and ask what can still happen to the deposit.
- Keep the original messages, deposit details and payment request.
- Do not use a telephone number supplied by the sender to verify their cheque.
A screenshot of the sender’s account is not independent confirmation. Nor does pressure about a delivery deadline resolve the uncertainty. Avoid promising to forward money while the bank investigates.
If you have already sent a payment, contact your bank and the payment service promptly, describe the suspected fraud and ask about recovery options. A refund cannot be assumed. The useful first move is to give the institution a clear timeline: when the cheque arrived, when you deposited it and where any money went.