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A check is not safe to spend just because it looks official or the money appears in your account. If someone sends you a check and asks you to return part of it, pay a fee, or forward money, stop: this is a classic fake-check scam. Verify any claimed government contact through an official agency website, then report the attempt to the right authorities.
How to recognize a government-check scam
Scammers may claim a check is a government payment, prize, job payment, refund, or overpayment. They may send a check for more than you expected and instruct you to refund the difference, pay a tax or fee, buy job supplies, or send money to unlock a prize. Fake checks can arrive electronically or resemble personal or business checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders. The FTC’s guidance is direct: “If someone you don’t know sends you a check and asks for money back, that’s a scam.” FTC guidance on fake-check scams
- Look for a request to send money onward. The sender may ask for a wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a money order.
- Be wary of a supposed free prize that requires payment. Do not pay a fee to collect it.
- Question unexpected government claims. An official-sounding agency name, personal details, caller ID, or polished check does not prove the contact is genuine.
A bank balance is not confirmation that a check is valid. Banks may make funds available before discovering a fake check, and detection can take weeks. If you sent money onward, you may still have to repay the bank when the check is rejected.
How to verify a claimed government payment or contact
- Stop communicating through the contact’s supplied details. Do not rely on a phone number in a message, an unexpected caller ID, or a link the sender provided.
- Find the agency’s official website yourself. Use its published contact information to ask whether the payment or claim is real. The FTC explains how to identify and report government impersonation at its scam guidance.
- For a tax claim, go directly to IRS.gov. The FTC says the IRS’s first contact about a tax issue is by mail. Do not call back a number from an unexpected call or voicemail. FTC guidance on IRS impersonation calls
What to do if you receive or deposit a suspicious check
- Do not return or forward any money. Do not buy gift cards, cryptocurrency, or money orders, and do not wire funds at the sender’s request. Do not pay a fee to collect a supposedly free prize.
- If you deposited the check, contact your bank or credit union promptly. Explain that the check may be fraudulent and ask what steps to take. The bank may require you to repay funds made available against a fake check; do not assume it can reverse money already sent.
- If you already paid, contact the payment provider immediately. Ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed. Recovery depends on how you paid, and it is not guaranteed.
- If you shared personal information, use IdentityTheft.gov. Follow the recovery steps at IdentityTheft.gov.
Where to report a government-check scam
Report an attempted or completed fake-check scam to the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and your state attorney general. If the scammer impersonated a government agency, report it to the FTC through ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general as well.
- FTC: Submit a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Report suspected mail-related fraud through its reporting page.
- State attorney general: Find your state office through the USA.gov state attorney general directory.
Reporting helps law enforcement identify patterns and investigate cases. The FTC says reports enter its Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure database available to local, state, and federal law enforcement; FTC staff also use reports to develop consumer alerts. About the Consumer Sentinel Network
The FTC reported more than $4 billion in total losses to scams involving bank transfers and cryptocurrency in 2025, many involving government or business impersonation. That figure covers those payment methods across scams; it is not a government-check-specific loss estimate. FTC 2025 data spotlight
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