Fake invoice and payment redirection scams

Fake-invoice and payment-redirection scams send realistic invoices or 'change of bank details' to get you to pay the wrong account.

How fake invoice and payment redirection scams work

You receive a realistic invoice, e-signature request, or 'your card failed' notice prompting payment or login.

Either you pay a fraudulent invoice, or you 'call support' and are walked into card details or remote access.

Verify charges and bank-detail changes through official accounts and known contacts, not the email.

Common opening lines

• “Invoice attached - you were charged; call to dispute.”
• “Your subscription auto-renewed - click to cancel or get a refund.”
• “A document is ready to sign - log in to view.”

Example patterns

Sanitised examples - placeholders only, never real links or data.

Red flags

• payment request
• brand impersonation
• suspicious link
• fake authority

What to do now

1. Stop paying and keep the deal/communication on official channels.
2. If money moved, contact your bank or payment provider immediately.
3. Save evidence and report to your national cybercrime authority.

What not to do

• Don't pay a fee to receive money, a refund, a prize, or to 'release' funds.
• Don't pay via gift cards, wire, or crypto to someone you haven't verified.
• Don't trust payment screenshots as proof of payment.

If you already responded

If you went further: if you clicked, don't enter anything and change any details you typed; if you entered card details, freeze the card with your bank; if you shared an OTP, change the password and enable app-based 2FA; if you paid, contact your bank or provider immediately; if you installed an app or gave remote access, disconnect, uninstall, and change passwords from a clean device.

How to verify safely

Check charges by logging into the service directly; verify any invoice or bank-detail change with a known contact before paying.

How to report

Report through official channels you find yourself - never a number or link from the message. Tell your bank or payment provider if money moved, and file with your national fraud or cybercrime body. Find the right links in the reporting directory. Open the reporting directory.

Watch for 'recovery' offers afterwards: anyone promising to get your money back for an upfront fee is running a second scam.

Sources checked

• FBI IC3 - Senior US officials impersonated in malicious messaging campaign (2025)
• FTC Consumer Advice - Imposter scams

Last reviewed: 2026-06-05

This is general safety information, not legal, financial, or cybersecurity incident-response advice. We can't detect every scam or guarantee recovery - always verify through official channels.