How to Spot Fake Invoice Emails

Invoice fraud or a fake billing scam can happen when you least expect it. The scam is deceptively simple; you receive an email with an invoice from a business, seller, or solicitor (someone you’ve been in contact with recently) asking you to settle your account before you can move forward with the transaction. Scammers will use business logos, business formats, email addresses, and ABNs taken from real organisations to make themselves look legitimate.

Unfortunately, a lot of people continue to fall victim to this kind of scam. The best way to not fall victim to scams like this is to know how to spot them. In this article, we give you tips and tricks to help identify fake invoices.

Look at the email address

First, double-check the email address of the sender when you receive an invoice. Some scammers will use characters that may be similar to the legitimate email address of the business or organisation you’ve been transacting with, making it easy for them to operate without raising suspicion.

For example, you may receive an email with the sender saying it’s from “loans.com.au: Australia's Home of Loans ” with the appropriate name. However, instead of the lower case “L”, they simply used an uppercase “i”, “Ioans.com.au” to make it look similar, depending on your computer’s font typeface. You need to check these small but very important details to avoid falling for a billing scam.

Verifying the email address of the sender should be done for all invoices or bills you receive, not just the ones you’re not expecting. Often, scammers can time their messages to align with your current situation. For example, you may receive an invoice regarding a property settlement just as you were finalising a deal on a house. The important thing is not to let your guard down and always check the email addresses of senders carefully.

Pay attention to the payment details

Some scammers can intercept legitimate messages between you and the sender and edit the payment information or other pertinent details. This means you need to pay extra attention to the payment details provided.

If you’ve done transactions with the business or person before, and suddenly you see new payment information or payment processes, it could signal a scam. To make sure the details in the email are legitimate, it’s best to contact the business or person directly and ask about any changes to the payment information. It never hurts to be a bit more cautious, especially when there’s money involved.

The timing of the invoice is unexpected

We all have bills to pay, and they’re usually scheduled every month. From your phone bill to online subscriptions, people have an idea of when to expect their next bill. This is why receiving an unexpected email invoice, even from a known business or vendor, is one of the most common signs of a fake billing scam.

It is very unlikely for businesses to suddenly charge someone without previous correspondence. If you receive an unexpected invoice, it’s best to ignore it or report the email as spam.

It’s best to keep track of your expenses and subscriptions so that if you do receive fake invoices like these, you won’t be caught unawares. Scammers are hoping that you believe their fake invoice and send money through without a second thought.

Suspicious links and attachments in the email

One of the tell-tale signs of an email being from a scammer is the presence of suspicious links or attachments. Scammers will often include malicious links and attachments to their emails in the hopes that the receiver will click it and provide their personal or financial information. Always be wary of links included in emails. It’s best to check the URL by hovering over it to see if it’s an official site affiliated with a legitimate business or person.

The sender pressures you to pay

Scammers often use scare tactics to force their victims to comply quickly, so they don’t have time to think or second guess situation. These fake invoices or bills typically use urgent language telling the receiver to pay immediately or else their services will be cut off, or the scammer threatens them with legal action. Payment deadlines may be standard with some invoices, threats and same-day payments typically aren’t.

If you receive something like this, it’s best to ignore it. You should also contact the business or person the scammer is impersonating to confirm that there are no invoices or bills sent to you that need paying.

Looking for more online security tips?

Keep yourself safe online by being informed. Check out our security hub to learn about how to protect yourself from online scams.

Ready to start saving on your home loan?

Find out in under 2 minutes if you qualify for one of our home loans.

Do I Qualify?