When an unknown lender posts you a cheque, often larger than the agreed amount, then asks you to wire back the difference or pay fees, it is almost always a scam: the cheque will bounce and the money will be taken back.
The classic overpaid cheque scenario
The fake lender promises 8,000 euros, then claims his accountant made a mistake and issued a cheque for 9,500 euros. He asks you to send back the extra 1,500 euros by bank transfer, money order or prepaid voucher before his bank notices.
Why the money shows up in your account first
In France, a bank usually credits a deposited cheque «sauf bonne fin», meaning subject to final clearance. Your displayed balance rises quickly, but the issuing bank can reject the cheque several days or weeks later, and the credit is then reversed.
What the reversal really costs you
When the forged cheque comes back unpaid, your bank debits the full amount it had credited. The money you sent the fraudster left through a payment that is hard to cancel, so you bear the loss alone, sometimes with overdraft charges on top.
The banker's draft, a false badge of safety
Scammers favour the banker's draft because it inspires trust: it is supposed to be funded by the bank itself. Yet counterfeit drafts are widespread, with copied logos, printed watermarks and fake phone numbers that lead to an accomplice posing as a bank adviser.
Checking a cheque with the issuing bank
To verify a banker's draft, look up the issuing branch's number yourself on its official website, never using the details printed on the cheque. Ask the bank to confirm the issue, amount and payee before you spend or return any money.
Cheques drawn on a foreign bank
A cheque drawn on a bank in the United Kingdom, the United States or West Africa clears slowly and at a high cost. An expatriate lender who supposedly cannot transfer money should alarm you, as our page on the blocked international transfer scam shows.
The Banque de France register of irregular cheques
The Banque de France runs the national register of irregular cheques, used mainly by retailers to detect stolen or lost chequebooks. Private individuals cannot search it directly, but a bank adviser can help assess a suspicious cheque before you pay it in.
Variant: the cheque held back for notary fees
Some fraudsters send only a photo of a cheque, never the original, and demand registration or insurance fees before posting it. Others bring in a so-called public official, a pattern explained in our report on the fake notary private loan scam.
When the cheque is used to launder money
Paying in a fraudulent cheque and passing part of it to a third party can make you a laundering intermediary, a so-called money mule. Even in good faith, you must explain yourself to your bank or investigators, and your account may be closed.
What to do if you have already sent money
Call your bank immediately to try to recall the transfer, then file a complaint with the police or gendarmerie, bringing the original cheque, the envelope and all written messages. Also report the contacts on PHAROS and on the DGCCRF platform Signal Conso.
How a genuine peer-to-peer loan works
A genuine loan between individuals relies on a written contract and a traceable transfer, never an oversized cheque. Above 5,000 euros, the borrower declares it on formulaire 2062 (French tax form for declaring loans), as our page on private loans and tax explains.
Where to find free, impartial help
The Info Escroqueries service answers free of charge on 0 805 805 817 on weekdays, and the Cybermalveillance website guides victims of online fraud. Consumer associations such as UFC-Que Choisir also help draft letters to the bank and prepare a police complaint.
What to do when an unknown lender sends you a cheque
- Spend nothing and send no money back until your bank has confirmed that the cheque has definitively cleared.
- Call the issuing branch on a number you found independently to check that the banker's draft exists, its amount and its payee.
- Ask the lender for a written loan agreement, a verifiable identity and a transfer from an account in his own name.
- Refuse any story about an overpayment to refund, upfront fees, or payment by prepaid voucher, crypto-asset or money order.
- Keep the original cheque, the envelope, the postmark and the messages, then show them to your bank adviser.
- File a complaint and report the scam on PHAROS and Signal Conso if the cheque turns out to be forged.
What a fake cheque can cost you
| Item | Amount | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Money sent back to the fake lender | Variable, often several hundred to several thousand euros | Rarely recoverable once the transfer is executed |
| Amount of the reversed cheque | The full cheque credited | Debited from your account after rejection |
| Overdraft interest and incident fees | According to your bank's price list, indicative | If the reversal pushes you into overdraft |
| Cheque check by the bank | Usually free, indicative | A simple call to the issuing branch |
| Police complaint and reports | Free | Police, gendarmerie, PHAROS, Signal Conso |
Evidence to keep after a fake cheque
- The original cheque and the envelope with its postmark
- The bank statement showing the credit and then the reversal
- Proof of the money sent back: transfer order, money order receipt, voucher ticket
- Emails, text messages and WhatsApp chats exchanged with the lender
- The profile, advert or web page used for the first contact
- Your ID document and bank details (RIB) for the complaint and the bank
Cheque-related warning signs
- Receiving a cheque for more than the promised loan, together with an urgent request to return the surplus by transfer or money order.
- Trusting the balance credited to your account even though the cheque is only provisionally credited and can still be rejected later.
- Calling the number printed on the banker's draft to check it, when that line may lead straight to the fraudster's accomplice.
- Accepting that a supposedly expatriate lender pays by foreign cheque because he claims he is unable to make an ordinary bank transfer.
- Paying postage, insurance or notary fees to receive a cheque you have only ever seen in a photograph.
Fake cheques and private loans: your questions answered
How long after crediting a cheque can the bank still reject it?
The delay depends on the bank, the origin of the cheque and the reason for rejection; a forged cheque can be reversed several weeks after it was paid in. Until your adviser confirms final clearance in writing, treat the money as unavailable and do not use it.
Can I be prosecuted for paying in a fake cheque in good faith?
Good faith matters, but you will have to prove it by keeping every exchange with the fake lender. Filing a complaint quickly and warning your bank protects your position. If you are summoned, a lawyer or a victim support association can assist you, free of charge depending on your means.
Can a genuine private lender pay by cheque?
It is possible for a relative who hands you a cheque from their own chequebook, for the exact amount set in the contract. A stranger met online who sends an oversized banker's draft or a foreign cheque, however, follows the typical overpayment scam pattern.
Can my bank refund the money I sent to the fraudster?
A transfer you ordered yourself is treated as authorised, which severely limits your options. Ask immediately for a recall of funds: it sometimes works if the receiving account has not yet been emptied. A police complaint remains essential for any later step, including with an insurer.