You should be careful the next time you try selling your stuff on social media sites or through classified ads in the paper.  The Door County Sheriff’s Department was contacted by local financial institutions wanting to warn people of the dangers of transacting a deal with someone you don’t know.  The latest scam is when you sell an item, and the buyer sends a payment by check that is more than the asking price.  Several banks have reported instances where individuals were asked to cash these checks and return the excess amount in cash.  Door County Sheriff Chief Deputy Kyle Veeser says you should be concerned if someone asks you to give back some money after sending a check.

In an overpayment scam, a buyer will send you more than the asking price for an item and then request that you return the overage. While that may seem like the right thing to do, the scammer will then file a chargeback so they get the full purchase price back plus the extra money you sent to correct the overage. Veeser says the best way to protect yourself is to deal more locally and meet in person to conduct the sale versus wiring money or sending cash.  He adds that you should always be careful about giving any personal information online when selling or buying anything over the Internet.