Cheque Overpayment Refund Scam on WhatsApp

How it looks on WhatsApp, the red flags and what to do.

On WhatsApp the scammer can send images, voice notes, PDFs and APK files, and a friendly profile photo makes the first message feel safe. 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 on WhatsApp

• A message from an unknown number, often with a stock photo of a smiling person.
• A friend or relative asking for urgent money from a new number or a hacked account.
• A group invite promising returns, jobs or prizes.

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 WhatsApp message

• 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.
• A new number says it is someone you know and asks for money; call the real person on the old number first.
• You are added to a group full of people praising profits.

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. Warn the group or family, and report the number on Sanchar Saathi if it is a scam call or message.
5. Do not click links or open files. Do not send money or codes.
6. Open the chat, tap the contact name and choose Block and report.

Inside WhatsApp use Block and report; for numbers that call or text you, the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) also takes complaints.

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: phone call, email, social media.

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