Fake invoices for fake orders
I received an email this week from a reader who came face to face with the classic invoice email scam along with an interesting look at the scammer's side of things.
Broken down, this is a scam in which someone sends out an email thanking the target for their purchase and attaches an invoice showing what looks like a legitimate receipt. The goal is to scare the person into responding and providing personal information.
In this case, our reader immediately knew it was a scam based on the general sketchiness and the fact that she didn't place an order with the alleged company.
What is interesting though is the invoice itself which claims she purchased cryptocurrency for a total of $516.49, with a second price per unit number showing $26,657.56. Obviously, these numbers are meant to sound an alarm for the target in hopes that they react immediately and try to contact the sender, but what adds to the scam is how realistic the invoice looks. There's a date, an invoice number, the item purchased and even bold print that reads similarly to other shopping site invoices complete with a nice big phone number to call. There's even a PayPal watermark in the corner. How whimsical.
Creepily, it also includes her email address on one of the top lines, adding to the facade.
One thing the sender stresses, both in the email itself and in the bold print of the invoice, is that the recipient should call customer support if it wasn't them who made the purchase. The email body does have some strange wording, which breaks the illusion some.
“If you're still doubtful, please call us immediately. We're available any time,” it reads.
That, to me, doesn't sound like a normal statement to someone who confirmed a purchase.
I'm sure I've written this before, but if you receive emails like this, do like our reader and ignore them or send them my way. If you're worried someone may be making purchases with your ID, contact your bank immediately.
Scam of the Week generally runs every Tuesday. Readers are welcome to contact reporter Jake Hutchison to report scams and potential scams they have come in contact with by calling 828-1329 or via email at jhutchison@ chicoer.com.