Where These Scammers Usually Contact You

Most of the scams start with what looks like a normal business inquiry. They often reach out through:

• Your website contact form

• Your website chat box

• Booking or appointment forms

• Email

• Google Business Profile messages

• Text messages

• Social media DMs

At first, the message usually looks like a legitimate request for your services!

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The “Large Budget Client” Scam

This is one of the most common scams targeting service-based businesses.

Someone reaches out saying they want to hire you and mentions a large budget or big project; a short turn around time or very specific deadline. After a short conversation, they introduce a strange request.

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They may ask you to:

• Pay a vendor for them using the money they gave you as "over payment" (Sounds like this: Ill just send you $5,000 and my vendors are requesting that they work directly with you, so you can just pay them using the money I give you) - ONE OF MY CLIENTS GOT THIS REQUEST RECENTLY

• Send money to their “project manager”

• Accept payment and forward part of it to someone else

• Only able to pay you through apps like CashApp, Venmo etc..

Sometimes they will say they’re traveling, out of the country, or unable to handle the payment themselves.

Once money is sent, the original payment turns out to be fraudulent or reverses. It takes a few days for the bank to detect it and send it back. So this gives you time to send out the money before it bounces; then YOU end up with an overdrawn account and responsible for the bounced check/payment. And yes... this happens with physical checks as well. I saw this EVERY DAY when I worked at the bank.

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Rules:
- Never send money to a third party on behalf of a client.

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The Overpayment Check Scam

Another common scam involves sending you a payment for more than the agreed amount.

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Here’s how it typically works:

1. A “client” sends you a check for too much.

2. They claim it was a mistake.

3. They ask you to send the extra money back through CashApp, Venmo, or another payment method.

Even if the check appears to deposit successfully, it can still come back as fraudulent days or weeks later. When that happens, the bank removes the funds from your account.

If you already sent money back, that loss comes out of your pocket. Again..

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Rules:
If someone overpays, do not send money back. Ask them to cancel the payment and resend the correct amount.

- If your clients sends you a physical check in person or in the mail, always call the bank the check is drawn off of (it will have it listed on the check as "Bank Of America" or whatever bank). Yes, they WILL verify if the check is legit or not. Also... this goes for "Official Checks" and "Money Orders". Just because it says "Bank Check or "Official Check" on the top, DOES NOT mean it is real. In fact, most of the fraudulent checks will claim to be "official checks". A check is just a piece of paper until it is negotiated by the bank; regardless of what is written or printed on it.- THIS HAPPENED TO A CLIENT OF MINE RECENTLY ALSO.

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Google Business Profile Message Scams

Some scammers reach out through your Google Business Profile messages.

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They often send very simple messages like:

• “Are you available for a project?”

• “I need a *your service*”

• “Can you help with marketing?”

 

Once the conversation starts, they may try to move the conversation to email or text and then introduce one of the scams above.

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Red flags include:

• Very vague project details

• Poor grammar or strange wording

• Requests involving payments or vendors

 

Fake Website or SEO Warnings

Another common scam involves emails claiming something is wrong with your website and they can help fix it or rank higher on Google searches.

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They may say things like:

• Your website will be removed from Google

• Your SEO is broken

• Your domain is expiring

• Your website has security issues

 

These messages are designed to scare you into paying for services you don’t need.

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Rule:
If you ever receive messages like this, check with me before responding! Do NOT click on any links within the emails.

- THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MULTIPLE CLIENTS ON MINE and they all have contacted me to be sure they were fake.

 

Fake Invoices

Some scammers skip the conversation and simply send invoices hoping businesses will pay them automatically.

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These may look like charges for:

• Domain renewals

• SEO services

• Online listings

• Advertising placements

• Website hosting renewals

 

Always verify invoices before paying anything. Do NOT pay anything through any link within the emails. Go directly to the website and look on your account.

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Quick Ways to Protect Your Business

A few simple habits can help prevent most of these scams.

• Be cautious with new inquiries that involve unusual payment requests.

• Never send money to a third party for a client.

• Avoid accepting checks from people you don’t know.

• Do not accept texting apps as a form of sole communication 

• Do not accept gift cards or payment apps like CashApp, as a form of payment 

• Verify businesses before starting projects.

• Slow down if something feels rushed or urgent.

• Do not click on any links through messages or emails

 

Scammers rely on urgency and confusion to get people to act quickly.

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If You’re Ever Unsure

If you ever receive a message or inquiry that feels suspicious, please send it to me before responding!

Because of my background in bank fraud, I’m very familiar with these scams and I’m always happy to take a quick look and help you determine if something is legitimate or not.

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It’s always better to double-check than risk losing money or sensitive information.

You can simply forward the message or screenshot and send it over, and I’ll help you review it.

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Your website should bring you real opportunities...not unnecessary stress. Staying aware of these common scams is one of the easiest ways to protect your business online and I want you ALL to be safe and not encounter ANY loses or stolen bank information.

 

With love,