Cheque Overpayment Refund Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

On a call the pressure is live: no time to read, no time to check, and a rule that you must not tell anyone. Cheque Overpayment Refund Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A buyer sends a cheque for more than the price and asks you to return the difference. The cheque bounces after you send real money.

What cheque overpayment refund scam looks like over the phone

• A calm, official voice that already knows your name or the last digits of your card.
• Being told to stay on the line and not to tell your family.
• Instructions to install a screen-sharing app or to press keys on the phone.

The scammer finds you through an advert for an item, a rental, a vehicle or a service. They agree quickly and offer to pay by cheque, saying that they are travelling or that their company only pays by cheque. They send a photo or courier a cheque that looks real, with a date, signature and a bank name that you can see.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• A buyer pays more than the price and wants the difference back.
• You are told to send money before the cheque clears.
• A pending credit in your app is treated as proof of payment.
• The buyer agrees to everything quickly and avoids meeting.
• You are told that a case, arrest, block or penalty is coming within minutes.
• You are asked to move money to a "safe account".

What to do

1. Wait until the cheque has fully cleared before sending anything.
2. Ask your bank how long clearing takes and whether the credit is final.
3. Do not hand over goods until funds are confirmed in your account.
4. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).
5. Hang up. A real bank or office will not mind that you call them back.
6. Call the bank or office on the number printed on your card, bill or official app, not on a number the caller gave.

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 if you sent money and give the transaction details.
2. Tell your bank on the number on your passbook and ask about the returned cheque.
3. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with copies of the cheque and chat.
4. Keep records of the goods and the courier or driver details.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's Money Shield checklist reminds you to verify before sending money to someone you do not know, and the scam check can review the buyer's chat and show money-demand and urgency signals. It cannot check a cheque or tell when your bank has cleared it, so ask your bank before returning anything. Ask your bank about clearing first. Wait for clearing.

Full guide: Cheque Overpayment Refund Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, email, social media.

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