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Invoice fraud is a type of scam in which criminals trick individuals or businesses into paying fake invoices. Scammers impersonate legitimate businesses or service providers and send seemingly legitimate payment requests.

These fake invoices can be sent via email, regular mail, or even text messages. They may claim late payments, threaten legal action, or demand immediate payment to coerce victims into paying without verifying the source of the payment.

Once the payment is made, scammers typically disappear without a trace. In some cases, they also use payment information to steal identities, resulting in even greater financial losses.

Common Types of Invoice Scams

PayPal Invoice Scams / Intuit Invoice Scams

These scams involve the abuse of legitimate platforms like PayPal. Scammers use PayPal's invoicing tools to send seemingly legitimate payment requests. They often include false customer service contact information in seller notes, so victims unknowingly contact scammers directly to inquire or cancel the invoice.

Email Invoice Scams

This scam relies on phishing emails that appear to come from legitimate companies. The seemingly legitimate invoices victims receive are actually fraudulent emails. Scammers may spoof business email addresses or impersonate managers, especially when targeting work email addresses.

Amazon/Apple Invoice Scams

Victims receive fake invoices that appear to be from Amazon or Apple, usually stating that they purchased an expensive item. These fake invoices are designed to entice victims by suggesting they ordered an expensive phone, tablet, or desktop computer. This information may prompt them to cancel the order; however, doing so will result in the scammer tricking them into providing their bank account or login information to cancel the fake order.

Antivirus Invoice Scams

These scams claim that the victim's antivirus subscription has expired or that their device is at risk. The fake invoice may contain contact information for "technical support." In reality, this information directly links to the scammer. They then trick the victim into paying unnecessary fees or installing malware to steal banking login and security information.