Known scam pattern · known_scam_pattern · Regulator warning
Fake logo-client overpayment scam
A fake-check scam adapted to design commissions: the apparent overpayment becomes the designer's real loss.
Scout's verdict
A fake client accepts terms unusually fast, sends an oversized check, and pressures the designer to forward part of it.
Good fit: No one.
Drawbacks
- financial loss
- bank liability
- identity theft
- wasted design work
Red flags
- check over the invoice amount
- request to pay a printer or vendor
- urgent refund
- no meaningful creative brief
- refusal of standard payment rails
Getting started
- Do not deposit or refund the check
- Verify the client independently
- Contact the bank if already deposited
- Report to the FTC and platform
Why this score
The overpayment and send-money-back structure is an FTC-documented fake-check scam, not a design opportunity.
Composite Scout risk read: 81 (Higher composite risk). This is not a community aggregate — community reports start empty.
Economics
Pay basis: No legitimate pay
The client and payment are fake.
Fees: A counterfeit check exceeds the project price; the designer is told to return the difference or pay another vendor before the bank reverses it.
Time to first dollar: Never; provisional check availability is not settled money.
Common expenses
- bank reversal
- refund sent to scammer
- vendor payment
- identity-theft remediation
Keep gross, platform payout, expenses, pre-tax operating net, and time separate. Never treat gross receipts as take-home.
Fit & eligibility
Capital band: none · incremental startup $0–$0
Hours/week (typical band): 0–0
Geography: US · remote-capable
The scammer may contact designers through portfolios, social media, email, or freelance sites.
Official evidence
Official-source verified is not community verified. Reviewed 2026-07-10; review by 2026-10-08.
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Job Scams
Federal Trade Commission · regulator · accessed 2026-07-10
Community observations
No reviewed reports yet. Report counts, comments, and payout statistics begin empty and grow only from moderated real records. We will never invent discussion text or leaderboard activity.
Volatile fields
Re-verify on a 30–90 day cycle: contact channel, project type, check amount, vendor story, payment rail.
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