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Are you selling a car online? If so, know that scammers may target you. They’ll pretend to be a buyer and try to trick you into sending them money. Here’s how the scam works.

It starts with a message from someone who says they’re interested in buying your car. They say they aren’t local and can’t look at it in person. Next, they’ll send you a check as a deposit to hold the car. But the check they send is for more than you expected. The “buyer” says they “accidentally” overpaid and asks you to send the extra money back. But if you do, the buyer and the money will be gone because every bit of this was a lie.

The fake check looks real, and the funds may even show up in your bank account after you deposit it. But it can take the bank weeks to figure out that the check was fake — and when they do, they’ll take the money back. So if you sent money to the scammer, you’ll have to repay the bank, too. Here’s what to know: 

  • Don’t accept a check for more than the selling price. If someone sends you a check for more than the selling price and asks you to send money back to them, it’s a scam.
  • Never send money to anyone who says they overpaid you by check. Never use money from a check to send gift cards, money orders, cryptocurrency or to wire money to anyone who asks you to. Once you do, it’s like you’ve given them cash. It’s hard to get it back.
  • Consider using an escrow or online payment service when you sell a car online.

Read How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams for more. If you spot a fake check scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. And if you think you’ve paid a scammer, here's what to do.

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