Yes, this situation is commonly associated with a type of scam known as an “overpayment scam.” Here’s how it typically works: someone offers to hire you for a job or service and agrees to send you a check for that service. However, the check amount exceeds the agreed-upon price. They then ask you to deposit the check and wire or transfer the excess amount to a third party, such as their “graphic designer.”

The problem with this scenario is that the check they send is usually fake or fraudulent. Initially, it may clear and appear as a valid deposit in your account, but eventually, the bank will discover that the check is not legitimate and will reverse the funds. By that time, if you’ve already sent money to the third party, you will be out of pocket for that amount, and recovering it will be difficult or impossible.

This scam exploits the delay between the initial deposit and the eventual dishonoring of the check. Therefore, it’s crucial to be skeptical of any arrangement where someone insists on overpaying for a service and asks that you forward the excess funds to another party. Always verify such transactions with your bank, do thorough due diligence on any party offering a deal that seems too good to be true, and refuse any requests that involve handling excess payments on behalf of others.