Is that cashier's check real? How fake check fraud works
Fake cashier's check fraud exploits a quirk in banking law: banks are legally required to make funds from deposited checks available within one to two business days, even before the check has actually cleared. A counterfeit cashier's check can look genuine, pass initial visual inspection, and show as 'available' in your account — for several days, until the issuing bank returns it as fraudulent.
The scam works like this: you receive a cashier's check for more than you're owed (for a job, a sale, a prize, or a rental deposit), deposit it, then forward the 'excess' via wire transfer, Zelle, or gift cards before the check bounces. When it does — typically 5 to 10 business days after deposit — your bank reverses the funds and you're left liable for everything you forwarded, plus the original check amount.
This mechanism underpins many other scams: the marketplace overpayment scam, the mystery shopper scam, the fake job offer, and fake prize claims all commonly use the counterfeit cashier's check as their payment tool.
🚩 Red flags to watch for
- ▶You receive a cashier's check for more than the agreed amount, with a reason for the overpayment (shipping costs, taxes, a portion for an assistant).
- ▶You're asked to forward the excess to a third party — a shipper, a business partner, or back to the sender.
- ▶The check came from a stranger in the context of a sale, job offer, rental deposit, or prize claim.
- ▶Urgency to deposit and forward money quickly — before the check has time to properly clear.
- ▶The 'sender' is in a different city, state, or country and cannot meet in person.
✅ What to do
- 1Never forward any portion of a deposited check until you have confirmed with your bank that the check has fully cleared — not just shown as 'available funds', which is not the same thing. Full clearance typically takes 7 to 10 business days.
- 2If you're unsure whether a check is real, ask your bank to contact the issuing bank to verify it before you deposit.
- 3If you've already forwarded money: report to your bank immediately and contact the wire transfer or payment service to attempt a recall. Report to the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and IC3 (ic3.gov).
📣 Where to report (by country)
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Action Fraud
- Police Scotland — call 101
🇦🇺 Australia
🇨🇦 Canada
🌍 Everywhere else
- Contact your local police and your bank immediately
- If money was sent, ask your bank about a recall request — act within hours
Got a suspicious message right now?
Paste it into our free AI checker for an instant pattern analysis
No account needed · Free to try · Privacy-first
Check your message free →No tool is a guarantee. AI pattern detection is a guide, not a verdict — always use your own judgment.
Common questions
My bank showed the funds as available. Doesn't that mean the check cleared?
No. 'Available' means the bank has made the funds accessible per legal requirements — it does not mean the check has cleared. A check only truly clears when the issuing bank has confirmed the funds and the hold period has fully elapsed. Availability and clearance are different things.
Why would I be liable if the bank accepted the check?
When you endorse and deposit a check, you are legally guaranteeing its authenticity. If the check is fraudulent and you have already withdrawn funds, the bank recovers from you. This is a harsh but well-established rule of banking law.