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The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why an overpayment is the setup, not the mistake
The pattern works because the seller sees a plausible confirmation, feels obligated, and returns the difference before the original payment reverses — if it ever existed.
No legitimate buyer overpays by mistake and asks a stranger to wire the difference. Verify cleared funds in your own account before shipping anything.
The protocol
- Stop the transaction the moment an overpayment, refund, or off-platform request appears.
- Log in to your own payment account (never a link from the buyer) and confirm what actually cleared.
- Screenshot the listing, the messages, the buyer's profile, and any payment image you were shown.
- State in writing that you will ship only after funds clear in your own account, and keep that message.
- Report the account to the platform and file the pattern at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
What the tool does
Build a marketplace overpayment record It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a preparation and verification aid, not fraud investigation, financial or legal advice. It cannot recover money, confirm an identity, or prove that a message, call, or payment request is fraudulent.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Automated decision this documents: AI-drafted buyer messages and payment confirmations
Free path, in order (no cost):
- FTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov for the overpayment pattern
- Your bank or payment provider's fraud line (call the number printed on your card or statement)
- The marketplace's own fraud-report route, which also protects the next seller
What this cannot do: It cannot recover money, confirm an identity, or prove that a message, call, or payment request is fraudulent.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Report the buyer's profile to the marketplace's fraud team, then file at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you already sent money, contact your bank or payment app immediately and mention the words 'authorised push payment fraud' if your provider uses them.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is scam-fraud-defense; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.