Can I get scammed with a cashier's check?
Fake cashier's check fraud is extremely common: your bank makes funds available before the check clears, and when it bounces days later you are liable for the full amount you withdrew.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
A cashier's check looks like one of the safest forms of payment because it is drawn on a bank rather than a personal account. In reality, counterfeit cashier's checks are easy to produce with widely available software, and the consequences of accepting a fake one fall on the recipient, not the scammer.
Here is how the fraud works: a buyer sends you a cashier's check, often for more than the agreed amount, and asks you to deposit it and wire or send back the excess. Your bank is required by federal regulation to make most deposited funds available within one to two business days — but the actual verification of the check can take a week or more. You withdraw cash that technically does not exist yet, send part of it away, and several days later the check is flagged as counterfeit. The bank reverses the deposit, and you owe every penny you withdrew.
This scam appears in overpayment fraud for selling cars or electronics online, fake rental deposits, work-from-home cheque-cashing schemes, and romance scams. The target is always the same: make you move fast before the check bounces.
If you receive an unexpected cashier's check or one for more than the agreed amount, do not deposit it. Call the issuing bank directly using a number from their official website (not a number printed on the check) and ask them to verify the check by serial number before you act on it.
Common red flags
- Check is for more than the agreed sale price with a request to return the difference
- Buyer you have never met insists on a cashier's check rather than a bank transfer
- Urgency to deposit and wire back the overage immediately
- Check arrives before any real communication about the transaction
- Phone number or bank address on the check does not match the official bank website
- Seller or buyer found you on a classifieds site and escalated quickly to payment
What to do now
- Never withdraw funds against a deposited check until you have independently verified it cleared — this can take up to 10 business days
- Call the issuing bank using a number from their official website to verify the check by serial number
- Refuse any deal that involves depositing a check and sending back a portion
- If you already withdrew and sent money, report to your bank and the FTC immediately
- File a police report as counterfeit check fraud is a federal crime
- Visit /recovery for a step-by-step checklist on next steps
Frequently asked questions
My bank said the funds were available — does that mean the check was real?
No. 'Available' means the bank has given you provisional access to the money while they verify the check. If the check later bounces, they will reverse the deposit and you owe the amount you withdrew.
How long does a cashier's check actually take to clear?
While funds may appear available in one to two business days, full verification can take up to 10 business days for large or out-of-state checks. Do not spend funds from an unexpected or suspicious check until that window has passed.