Recover Losses from Invoice Fraud

If you've lost money to a romance scam, you're not alone. With the right help, you may be able to get your money back.

How Invoice Fraud Works

In invoice fraud, criminals try to trick individuals or businesses into paying with fake invoices. Scammers impersonate reputable companies or service providers and send seemingly legitimate payment requests.

These fake invoices can be sent by email, mail, or even text message. They may claim overdue payments, threaten legal action, or demand immediate payment, forcing victims to pay without questioning the invoice's authenticity.

Once payment is received, the scammers often disappear without a trace. In some cases, they also use the payment information for identity theft, which can lead to even greater financial losses.

This type of fraud, commonly known as invoice fraud or billing fraud, is becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect.

Warning Signs of Invoice Fraud

Detecting online fraud can be difficult. Here are some warning signs to look out for:

Unsolicited invoices:

Be especially wary of unexpected invoices, particularly from people you don't normally deal with. Always carefully check all the details on the invoice before paying.

Unexpected changes to payment details:

Scammers can intercept legitimate invoices or create convincing forgeries and change bank account details to transfer money. If payment information suddenly changes, contact the company directly through trusted channels.

Urgent or threatening requests:

A common tactic in email fraud is to feign urgency. If an invoice demands immediate payment or threatens legal action, read it carefully before responding.

Unusual payment methods:

Requests for payment via gift card, cryptocurrency, or cash are red flags. Legitimate companies never request payments this way. Scammers use these methods because they are difficult to trace and detect.

Unknown Contacts:

Scammers sometimes impersonate well-known brands, CEOs, or reputable suppliers. If something seems suspicious, trust your instincts and verify the other party's information.

Common Types of Invoice Fraud

PayPal Invoice Fraud/Intuit Invoice Fraud

These scams exploit seemingly legitimate platforms like PayPal. Scammers use PayPal's billing tools to send seemingly legitimate payment requests. They often leave fake customer service contact information in the seller notes, so victims unknowingly contact the scammers directly when they inquire about or cancel invoices.

Email Invoice Fraud

This scam uses phishing emails that appear to come from legitimate companies. Victims receive seemingly normal invoices that are actually fraudulent. Scammers sometimes forge company email addresses or impersonate CEOs, especially when targeting business email addresses.

Fake Amazon or Apple Invoice Scam

Victims receive fake invoices that appear to be from Amazon or Apple and typically suggest the purchase of expensive items. These fake invoices are designed to trick victims into taking action by making them believe they have ordered expensive smartphones, tablets, or computers. This information might lead victims to cancel orders. However, this puts them in the scammers' trap, tricking them into revealing bank or login details to cancel a fraudulent order.

Fake Antivirus Software Invoice Scam

These scams claim that the victim's antivirus software subscription has expired or that their device is at risk. The fake invoice may include "support" contact information. In reality, this data leads directly to the scammer. The scammer will trick the victim into paying unnecessary fees or installing malware that can steal banking and login details.