Hey, nice profile pic! Here’s why scammers want to paint it.

Got a message from someone praising your profile pic and offering to pay you to paint it? Don’t believe them – it’s a scam. They don’t really want to paint your profile picture, and they don’t plan on paying you. In fact, you’ll end up paying them. Here’s how the scam works.

It starts with a message from a supposed “artist” praising you for your amazing profile picture and asking for permission to paint it in exchange for payment.

If you agree, they send you a check and ask you to deposit it and take some money out and send it back to them for supplies. The check may look legitimate, and the funds will show up initially in your bank account.

What you don’t know is that the check was fake, and by the time it’s discovered by the bank, the scammer will have gotten away with the amount that was sent back – leaving you responsible for the difference.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning everyone that this fake check scam is picking up steam and being used to target young adults on social media.

You should never accept payment from someone you don’t know if part of the agreement is to send some of it back – 9 times out of 10 it’s a scam - and, it’s the precise tactic scammers use with fake check scams. Learn more ways to spot fake checks scams right here.

If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a scam, the FTC also has recommendations on what to do next here.