Is it a scam if a new job sends me a check to buy equipment from their vendor?

Yes — this is the fake-check job scam: the check is counterfeit, the “vendor” is the scammer, and the job doesn't exist. Your bank must make deposited funds available within days, but a fake check can take weeks to bounce — and when it does, the full amount is clawed back from you, after you've already paid the “vendor” real money. No legitimate employer pays you before you've worked or routes purchases through your personal account.

Educational verdict from documented scam patterns — not a live report. For a 0–100 risk score on the exact link in your hand, run the checker.