JAY GET IT · VIDEO LESSON + PRACTICE
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Fake Check Scams: Available Funds Are Not Proof of Payment
Watch the fake-check overview, examine an overpayment request, and practice a careful fraud conversation.
Watch: Fake Check Scams Explained: Why Banks Release Funds Then Take Them Back (2026)
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Video published: February 16, 2026 (Pacific time). Companion lesson last substantively reviewed: November 2, 2026.
Understand the decision
- An available account balance is not a guarantee that a deposited check is genuine or finally paid.
- An overpayment followed by pressure to return money is a warning pattern worth independent review.
- Ask neutral questions, preserve relevant facts, and use approved fraud and escalation procedures.
Source context
Practice independently
Use this new fictional situation to check your understanding. Your response stays on this page.
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Use the free Before You Cash That Check job aid
Review the check-fraud warning signs and frontline next steps. The resource page explains the editable Word format and free delivery.
Use the free Before You Cash That Check job aidEdited learning transcript
This condensed companion follows the video’s main teaching points. It is edited for readability and qualified by the review notes above; it is not a verbatim record. Timestamp links open the corresponding part on YouTube.
0:00 — Why fake checks still cause losses
The lesson introduces counterfeit, stolen, and altered checks and the ways people may be drawn into a scam. The useful distinction is between a warning pattern and a proven conclusion; employees need facts and the proper review route.
1:22 — The overpayment pattern
A person receives a check and is asked to send part of the proceeds elsewhere. The explanation may involve a job, a purchase, or an alleged mistake. Urgency and a request to move money before independent review are reasons to pause and ask questions.
2:42 — Availability is a separate question
The video’s central point is that seeing available funds does not establish that a check has finally been paid. A later return can create consequences after money has already been sent. The FTC provides current consumer guidance on this distinction.
3:31 — Recognize and refer concerns
Changes in activity, pressure from a third party, and a request for immediate movement of funds can be relevant facts. They are not stand-alone proof. Explain only what is verified and use the institution’s approved fraud and funds-availability procedures.
5:40 — Turn awareness into a conversation
Ask where the check came from and what the customer has been asked to do. Avoid a guarantee about authenticity, recovery, or liability. Document and refer according to your role, and give the customer a clear authorized next step.