What are the red flags of this scam?

You have no memory of ordering the service described on the invoice • The invoice arrives with a 'past due' or 'second notice' label to create urgency • The vendor name is unfamiliar and searches find complaints or 'scam' references • Payment is demanded by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency — legitimate vendors accept checks and cards • An email version contains a link to 'view invoice' — that link is a credential-phishing page • The invoice is for a vague service like 'domain listing,' 'SEO maintenance,' or 'annual support renewal'

What should I do if this happened to me?

Before paying any invoice, verify the purchase with the person who approved it • Search the company name online with 'review' and 'scam' — fake invoice companies usually have complaints • Never click 'View Invoice' links in unexpected emails — go directly to the vendor's official site • Establish a written purchase-order process so staff can confirm any invoice before payment • Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.

MEDIUM phishing Last reported: Sep 10, 2026 Share

Your business receives an invoice for a service you never ordered

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. Scammers mail or email official-looking invoices to small businesses for services never ordered—domain registration, directory listings, SEO, or tech support—hoping busy staff will pay without verifying.

Scammers mail or email official-looking invoices to small businesses for services never ordered—domain registration, directory listings, SEO, or tech support—hoping busy staff will pay without verifying.

Also known as: fake vendor invoice scam, fake domain invoice, small business invoice fraud, directory listing invoice scam

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.

What to do right now

1 Before paying any invoice, verify the purchase with the person who approved it
2 Search the company name online with 'review' and 'scam' — fake invoice companies usually have complaints
3 Never click 'View Invoice' links in unexpected emails — go directly to the vendor's official site
4 Establish a written purchase-order process so staff can confirm any invoice before payment
5 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.

Red flags

⚠ You have no memory of ordering the service described on the invoice
⚠ The invoice arrives with a 'past due' or 'second notice' label to create urgency
⚠ The vendor name is unfamiliar and searches find complaints or 'scam' references
⚠ Payment is demanded by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency — legitimate vendors accept checks and cards
⚠ An email version contains a link to 'view invoice' — that link is a credential-phishing page
⚠ The invoice is for a vague service like 'domain listing,' 'SEO maintenance,' or 'annual support renewal'

Known variants

Attacker hijacks a real supplier's email account or registers a look-alike domain to intercept an in-flight invoice and redirect the wire to their own account. No fake company, no unsolicited invoice — the thread, tone, and signature look real. Vendor BEC now drives 61% of all BEC fraud; average verified loss exceeds $123,000. (FBI 2025 IC3)

Last seen: 9/10/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources