In the most basic form, an overpayment scam consists of a scammer claiming, falsely, to have sent a victim an excess amount of money.
[2] After the victim does so, they discover that the scammer's check was fraudulent, losing their money.
The scammer may also resort to aggressive tactics such as threatening and intimidation to force their victim into complying with their demands.
[4] Online refund scams can also be considered a form of technical support scam, as they largely follow the same format of connecting to the user's computer with remote access software.
In addition, some online refund scams have been targeted at users who had previously fallen victim to technical support scams, claiming that the company which originally conned the victim had gone out of business and could no longer provide the "security services" the victim paid for in the original scam.
Other scams involve fake listings where scammers posing as landlords request deposits before viewings, or charge high fees for background checks, mirroring tactics in check overpayment scams.
Rental scams often preys on financial urgency and renters' trust.