Madison Reporter

A woman who sells items online is warning the public of fake check scams.

The Middletown woman who wishes to remain anonymous, told NBC 15 that she listed a squish mellow toy on Facebook Marketplace. A buyer was interested and sent her money over her asking price.

“I got the overnight mail and opened it up. There was a check for a thousand dollars over my asking price,” she said, according to NBC 15.

Although hesitant, the seller attempted to deposit the check and meet the buyer to pick up the toy and receive a refund but the bank caught the scam and informed the seller it was fraudulent.

The Middleton woman and the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau are giving people red flags, warnings and solutions for avoiding scams while selling items online, per NBC 15.

“Not only are you out your item that you’ve shipped or given away, you’re also out the funds from the bounced check,” Regional Director for the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau Tiffany Bernhardt Schultz said, according to NBC 15.

A big red flag is a check for a lot over the asking price, according to NBC 15. Another red flag is a buyer offering you money to hold the item for them, according to NBC 15.

Schultz told NBC 15 that “if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is."