Is a bank draft or money order from a buyer safe to accept?

Fake bank draft and money order scams work identically to fake cashier's check scams. A buyer for a high-value item sends a bank draft or money order — often for more than the agreed price — and asks you to refund the difference or forward some funds. The document appears to clear initially but is later reversed. You are then liable for the full amount. Counterfeit bank drafts have become sophisticated enough to defeat teller scrutiny in some cases. The only reliable way to verify is to allow your bank's full settlement process to complete — which can take up to 10 business days — before taking any action.

The scam works because of a gap most people never encounter until it costs them: 'funds available' and 'funds final' are different events. Banks credit deposited instruments quickly as a customer convenience, but the underlying verification continues for days afterwards — and when a counterfeit is detected, the credit is reversed and the account holder bears the loss. Scammers time their pressure to land inside that gap, urging you to ship goods or wire back an 'overpayment' while your banking app still shows the money as present.

Your handling of the instrument should assume the gap exists. Tell the teller the draft came from a stranger in a sale, ask explicitly for final settlement rather than availability, and refuse every request that requires action before that confirmation — a legitimate buyer has no reason to need money returned urgently from an instrument they just sent. Overpayment itself is effectively conclusive: there is no innocent explanation for a stranger deliberately paying more than the asking price and requesting the difference back.