Is this overpayment check a scam?

Almost certainly. In an overpayment (or “fake check”) scam, someone — a “buyer,” “employer,” or “landlord” — sends you a check for more than you're owed and asks you to deposit it and wire back the difference, buy gift cards, or forward it to a “vendor.” The check looks real and may even clear at first, but it bounces days later. By then the money you sent is gone, and your bank claws back the full amount.

A legitimate payer sends the exact amount owed and never asks you to return part of it. Real employers don't overpay you and ask for change back, and genuine buyers don't overpay “by accident.” No honest transaction requires you to move money out before a check truly clears. Never wire back or send gift cards against a deposited check, and if a link or site is involved, check it first.