“Congratulations! $45/hr data entry, work from home, start Monday.” Sounds great — especially on LinkedIn, Indeed DMs, or WhatsApp. But legitimate employers never ask you to receive a check and forward money to a vendor via Zelle.
"We need you to receive a check for equipment and send $800 to our vendor via Zelle before your start date. Keep $200 as your signing bonus!"
How the overpayment scam works
- Fake employer sends a check (often for too much)
- You deposit it — bank may show “available” funds temporarily
- They ask you to Zelle or wire part to a “vendor”
- The check bounces. You're out real money.
Red flags
- Job found you — you didn't apply through official careers page
- Interview was only over text or Telegram
- Pay seems too high for simple work
- Equipment purchase required before day one
- Any mention of Zelle, gift cards, or crypto for “vendors”
Paste the whole conversation into ScamCheck — it flags job/overpayment patterns automatically.