Overpayment Scam UK: Do Not Send a Separate Refund
Do not “refund” a claimed overpayment by making a new payment to an account chosen by the buyer. Ask your bank or payment provider to handle it.
What the scam looks like
A supposed buyer, tenant, customer or employer claims to have sent too much and asks for the difference back. The original payment may be a forged screenshot, a fake email, a cheque that is returned unpaid, or money sent from a compromised account. The victim sends a genuine payment and later loses the incoming funds as well.
PayPal’s current scam guidance describes an overpayment scam in which a customer pays more than the purchase price and asks for the difference or postage costs back.
Do not rely on a screenshot or message
Check the account directly through the bank or provider’s official app or site. A payment email, screenshot or balance shown inside a buyer-controlled page is not evidence that money arrived.
Even where funds appear, do not send a new transfer to a different account or method. Contact the provider and ask it to reverse or return the original payment through the original route. Do not release goods until the provider confirms the payment status and advises it is safe.
How fast cheques actually clear
UK sterling cheques clear under the Image Clearing System. Pay.UK says a cheque paid in before the institution's cut-off is normally available by 23:59 on the next working day — much faster than the older multi-day "2-4-6" cheque-clearing timeline that scammers may still rely on to create a false sense of security while a cheque is still liable to be returned unpaid. Bank terms can still include post-payment fraud measures, and foreign cheques or other deposit routes can follow different rules.
Do not treat a cheque as safe to refund against just because a few days have passed. Ask the bank about the specific cheque and explain that an overpayment refund has been requested.
Warning signs
- The supposed payer wants a refund before the provider confirms the payment.
- The refund must go to a different account, card or person.
- The buyer sends only screenshots or emails as proof.
- The payment is much larger than agreed without a credible explanation.
- Urgent pressure to send the difference, postage or an agent’s fee.
If you already paid
Contact the bank or payment provider immediately, explain both the incoming payment and the outgoing refund, and ask whether funds can be frozen or recalled. Preserve payment references, messages and account details.
Report fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2-4-6 cheque rule still the current standard?
No. UK sterling cheque imaging normally uses a next-working-day cycle, subject to cut-offs, bank terms and fraud controls.
What is the safest way to return a genuine overpayment?
Ask the bank or payment provider to reverse the original transaction through the original route. Do not make a separate payment to details supplied by the buyer.
Does money showing in an account prove it can never be recovered?
No universal statement is safe. Payment type, fraud, bank terms and legal rights all matter. Ask the provider about the specific transaction.