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Is someone offering to deposit money into your account a scam?

USPublished 6 October 2026 · Written by BuyMeWhiskey Editorial Team · How we check facts

Yes, it can be a scam when a romantic contact asks for your bank login or wants you to receive and move money. The FBI warns that people met online who ask for bank information may be using the account for fraud or money laundering.

Next question: What can a scammer do with your name and address? →

If you shared credentials, money or banking details, contact your bank immediately and use the FTC recovery guide to report and contain the scam.

Use the FTC scam-recovery guide

Someone you meet online does not need your banking username, password or verification code in order to “deposit money” into your account. Those credentials exist to authenticate you, not to help another person transfer funds.

The FBI says that when someone met online needs your bank account information to deposit money, they are most likely using your account to carry out other theft and fraud schemes. That can put your money, your identity and your relationship with your bank at risk.

How the scam can work

A common pattern is an attractive or sympathetic online persona who offers financial help. They may say they will send money, pay bills, fund a lifestyle or make deposits on your behalf. The request may then shift to your bank details, online-banking login, one-time code or a request to move money somewhere else.

Another version involves fake checks. The FTC explains that a scammer may send a check for more than the amount supposedly owed and ask the recipient to send some money back. The bank may make deposited funds available quickly even though the check later turns out to be fake.

You could become a money mule without realising it

If someone asks you to receive money into your own account and then forward it to another person, keep cash aside for them or move funds through payment apps, stop. The FBI has warned about online-dating fraud that recruits victims as money mules, using personal bank accounts to move proceeds from crime.

You do not need to understand the full scheme for the activity to expose you. A bank may see incoming and outgoing transactions that look unusual or connected to fraudulent funds. That can lead to account restrictions or further investigation.

Threats do not make the demand legitimate

Some scammers become threatening when a target tries to leave. Threats can be used to frighten a person into continuing to send money, disclose information or keep communicating.

Do not negotiate over your banking security. Save messages, usernames, email addresses, payment records and screenshots. If there is a credible threat of immediate physical harm, contact local law enforcement. For online financial fraud, report the incident to the FTC and, where appropriate, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The FTC says that if you gave a scammer your username and password, create a new strong password. Change it anywhere else you reused it. Because banking credentials are especially sensitive, contact the bank promptly and follow its instructions for securing the account.

Also review the account for new payees, transfers, withdrawals, address changes or other activity you do not recognise. Do not wait for the scammer to “explain” a transaction before reporting it.

Never share a bank verification code

The FTC is explicit that verification codes are for proving that you are the person logging in. A caller asking for a bank or investment verification code is a scammer. The code can be the final step needed to bypass a login security check.

Use the bank's official app, website or number from your statement. Do not call back the number that the scammer gives you.

Why a deposited cheque is not proof of real money

Fake-check scams work because money can appear in the account before the bank discovers the check is fraudulent. The FTC explains that fake checks can take weeks to be discovered. If the victim sends money back before that happens, the scammer keeps the transfer while the bank reverses the counterfeit deposit.

That is why the safe rule is: never spend or forward money from an unexpected check just because the balance increased.

What to do now

Stop communicating with the scammer and do not send more money.
Call your bank using a trusted number and explain what happened.
Change passwords and enable stronger security controls where available.
Review account activity and report unauthorised transactions immediately.
Report the fraud to the FTC and consider an FBI IC3 report for online crime.
Keep evidence, including payment instructions and threatening messages.

The most important point is that “sugar daddy” or “sugar momma” language does not change the financial risk. The behaviour to watch is the request for access, money movement or confidential authentication information.

Illustrative fake-check overpayment

Worked example

Illustrative example: a person Priya met online says he wants to deposit $1,800 into her account. He asks for her online-banking login and promises she can keep part of the money. A day later he says a payment of $1,800 has arrived and asks her to send $600 to another account “to release the rest”.

Priya should not move the money. The FTC explains that a fake check can appear as available funds before the bank discovers the fraud. If Priya sends the $600, the scammer could keep that money even after the bank reverses the counterfeit deposit.

She should contact her bank, stop communicating with the person, change any exposed passwords and preserve the messages. If she also gave a verification code, she should say that explicitly to the bank because it can affect the security response.

The numbers are illustrative; the scam pattern is the important part. A promised deposit is not a reason to hand over banking credentials or move money for an online stranger.

No. Giving an online contact your banking username or password is a serious security risk and is unnecessary for a legitimate deposit. The FBI specifically warns that people met online who need bank information to deposit money may be using the account for theft or fraud.

What should I do if a sugar daddy sends me a cheque?#

Do not spend or return money from the cheque just because it appears in your account. The FTC warns that fake checks can look real and that funds can appear available before the bank discovers the fraud. Contact your bank and explain that the payment may be fraudulent.

Is a sugar momma asking for my bank details a scam?#

The label is not the test; the request is. An online stranger asking for bank access, verification codes or money movement is a major warning sign. Stop and verify independently. Never share your login credentials or one-time banking code with the person.

What if the scammer is threatening me because I want to leave?#

Threats are a reason to stop engaging, not to keep paying. Save the messages and account details. Contact your bank if money or credentials were shared, report the financial fraud to the FTC and contact local law enforcement if there is a credible immediate threat.

I gave the scammer my username and password - what now?#

Change the password immediately and change it anywhere else you reused it. Contact the bank through a trusted channel and explain exactly what you gave the scammer. The FTC also recommends checking financial accounts for unauthorised activity and using IdentityTheft.gov when identity information was exposed.

Can I keep money a stranger deposits into my account?#

Do not assume it is yours. Unexpected deposits can be part of fake-check fraud, account takeover or money-mule schemes. Do not forward or withdraw the money. Tell your bank what happened and follow its instructions so you do not become part of a fraudulent transaction chain.

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Next question →What can a scammer do with your name and address?

Sources

Figures were checked against these sources before publication. If a rule changes, we update the page and show the new date.

General information, not personal financial advice. Rules depend on your circumstances; check the official source or speak to a regulated adviser before acting.