"Check is in the mail. My bank messed up and wrote it for $10,700, not $6,200. Can you Zelle the extra $4,500 to my painter? He starts at the property Monday."
Here's a hypothetical, and everyone in it is made up. Dario (made up) runs Quillmoss Landscaping (a made-up company), two trucks and a trailer. The text came from a "homeowner" who lives out of state and manages a rental that's sitting empty. Dario never met him. They traded photos, a bid, and a signed contract, all by text and email. The job was $6,200 for sod and a retaining wall.
The cashier's check had a real bank's name on it. Bank logo, signature, the works. Dario deposited it on a Tuesday. Wednesday morning his app showed the $10,700 sitting there. So he sent the painter $4,500.
The painter's number stopped answering by Friday.
Twelve days later the bank flagged the check as fake and pulled the whole $10,700 back out. The $4,500 was gone. So was the cushion for the daily MCA debit, which hit the next morning anyway.
This one is moving right now. On October 16, 2026, the Richardson County Sheriff's Office in Nebraska warned residents and businesses about fake cashier's checks circulating there, with bank logos, signatures, and security features that look convincing, KLZA reported. On October 13, police in Monmouth, Illinois, said they keep taking "report after report" of checks where victims cash it, keep a portion, and send the rest back, then end up out the total.
BBB has warned that this exact contractor version targets landscaping and remodeling businesses: an out-of-state client, a property you can't get into, contact only by text or email. In one twist BBB described, the check runs $2,000 to $5,000 over the bid so you'll "pay the other contractors." That other contractor is often a fake too. BBB says some businesses even had their bank accounts closed afterward.
Red flags
A check for more than the bid or the invoice, with a story about why. The FTC's rule of thumb: don't accept a check for more than the selling price (FTC).
A request to send the extra to someone else, by Zelle, wire, a payment app, or gift cards (BBB, FTC).
A client who is out of state, won't meet, won't do a phone or video call, and the property is empty or for sale (BBB).
The money already shows in your account. That doesn't mean the check is good. Banks have to make deposits available fast, and fakes can take weeks to catch (FTC, Richardson County Sheriff's Office).
What to do
One rule for the crew: we never send money back out of a check. Tape it by the deposit slips.
If the check is too big, send it back and ask for one for the exact amount. If they refuse, walk (BBB).
Call the issuing bank on a number you look up yourself, not the one printed on the check or sent in the text (Richardson County Sheriff's Office).
Insist on at least one phone or video call before you start work (BBB).
If money already went out, move fast. Zelle or a bank transfer: report it to your bank right away and ask them to reverse it. Payment app: report it to the app. Wire company: call them, say a scammer tricked you, and ask for a refund. Gift cards: call the card issuer (FTC). Keep the check and every message, then report it to your local police and ReportFraud.FTC.gov. If the clawback means your next MCA debit will bounce, call your funder before it hits.
Back at the shop, Dario (made up) tapes a new rule to the deposit slips: "Exact amount or no job."
Sources:
KLZA via MSC News, Richardson County Sheriff's Office fake check warning (Oct. 16, 2026): https://mscnews.net/local-news/936389
Prairie Communications, Monmouth police check scam warning (Oct. 13, 2026): https://977wmoi.com/2026/10/monmouth-police-offer-warning-as-check-scams-continue-locally/
BBB, out-of-town homeowners con contractors with fake checks: https://www.bbb.org/article/business/27334-bbb-serving-the-heart-of-texas-scam-alert-out-of-town-homeowners-con-contractors-with-fake-checks
FTC, How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-fake-check-scams
FTC, What To Do if You Were Scammed: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed