Overpayment, fake check, or shipping trick

• A check or transfer for more than you asked, with an apology and a request to refund the extra.
• 'My shipper will collect it, please pay them and I'll reimburse you.'
• A buyer who never asks about the item, only about logistics and payment.
• A payment that clears at first and reverses days later.

Banks make deposited checks available before they've fully cleared, so a fake check looks like real money for a few days. Anything you send back is gone before the bank catches up. Overpayment also flips the roles: now you're the one who owes them, which feels obligatory. The FTC's advice is simple: an overpayment is always a scam. Refuse and report.

• Never refund an overpayment or pay a buyer's shipper. Cancel the sale instead.
• Don't rely on 'the check cleared'. Ask your bank if the funds have been fully collected, which can take weeks.
• If you sent money back and the payment reversed, call your bank now.
• Report the buyer to the marketplace and to the FTC.

More in the tips: Buying, selling, and payment apps.