Dele_CEO Spot on to be cautious and trust your gut, but you’re actually dealing with something even worse than an AI scraper: this is a textbook Fake Check / Overpayment Scam targeted directly at service contractors.
Here is what’s really going on behind those messages:
- The Setup: They send specific detail about a job (often grabbing real local addresses or property listings) so it feels genuine.
- The Dodge: They avoid phone calls or use VoIP/call centers, usually claiming they're traveling, out of the country, or dealing with a health issue.
- The Shift: The detailed business questions are just them probing to see if you take checks and how you process billing.
- The Trap: The "accountant" will eventually send you a fraudulent check or cashier's check for more than the quoted amount. They’ll ask you to deposit it, keep your cut, and wire/Zelle the "extra" to a third party (a courier, coordinator, supplier, etc.).
A few weeks later, the bank realizes the check was fake, reverses the whole amount, and you're out whatever cash you transferred out of pocket.
Definitely keep your guard up—any time a prospect refuses to talk live, insists on paying via a third-party check, or asks you to handle funds for their vendors, hit block and move on!
