Can a new employer pay me in advance and ask me to buy equipment or supplies with the money?
No legitimate employer sends money in advance and then asks you to purchase and forward equipment or supplies. This is a cheque fraud or money mule pattern.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Genuine employers purchase their own equipment and supplies through their own corporate accounts or procurement systems. They do not send employees an upfront payment and ask them to personally buy items and send them to a third address or transfer the change. This arrangement serves no legitimate operational purpose.
The scam works by sending a cheque or bank transfer that appears real. The employee is asked to buy gift cards, electronics, or supplies with the money and send the items or transfer the change. The original payment is later reversed (a fraudulent cheque bouncing, or an unauthorised transfer being recalled), leaving the victim out of pocket for the goods or cash they forwarded.
A variation involves being asked to buy and post items to an overseas address. This exposes the victim to potential customs and import law issues and, if the goods were purchased with stolen funds, possible receiving of stolen goods charges.
Always be sceptical of any work arrangement that involves receiving money and then spending or forwarding it on behalf of an employer you have not verified in person.
Common red flags
- Employer sends money and asks you to buy equipment or gift cards with it
- Items must be sent to a specific third-party address
- Job involves handling money or goods on behalf of a remote employer
- Payment arrives before your first day by cheque or unexpected bank transfer
- Employer rushes you to make purchases before the payment can be verified
- Role was found through an unsolicited message or generic job board post
What to do now
- Do not spend or forward any funds received in this way
- Contact your bank to verify the payment is genuine and has fully cleared
- Research the employer through official business registries
- Refuse to purchase anything on behalf of an unverified employer
- Report the job to the platform and your national fraud authority
- If you already sent goods or money, report to police and your bank immediately
Frequently asked questions
What is a fake cheque scam?
A fake cheque scam sends a fraudulent cheque that appears to clear initially in your bank account. You are asked to spend or forward part of the money. When the cheque is ultimately returned unpaid, your bank reverses the credit and you lose the funds you already spent.
What if the bank says the funds are available in my account?
Funds being available is not the same as a cheque having fully cleared. Cheques can take several weeks to be definitively confirmed as genuine. An available balance early in the process does not mean the payment is real.