A buyer overpaid me by EFT and wants the difference back. Is it a scam?
Yes, almost certainly. In the overpayment scam the payment is fake or will be reversed, and the "difference" you refund is real money from your account. Never refund anything until the original payment is cleared and has stayed in your account.
The overpayment is "for the courier", "a typing mistake" or "my assistant added a zero". The buyer is polite and in a hurry. Sometimes the first payment really arrives but was made from a stolen account and is reversed days later.
What to do
- Check your banking app: is the money cleared, or just a POP or SMS?
- Do not refund anything to a different account than the one that paid.
- Tell the buyer to ask their bank to reverse the overpayment themselves.
- Wait several days even if the money shows, in case the payment was made from a stolen account.
- Report the buyer on the platform and keep the messages.
Frequently asked questions
- The money is in my account. Can I refund now?
- Wait. Talk to your bank first. Payments from stolen cards or accounts can be reversed after they show.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for R99.
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