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Scammers often send out fake invoices to defraud businesses into paying for services or products they never requested or received. They may also notify a business that a vendor’s information has changed and provide false information in the attempt to defraud.

    1. Contact your financial institution immediately to cancel any payment and explain what has happened.
    2. If you believe this happened because of a phishing attempt, reset account passwords and see our guidance on business email compromise.

  • Review all invoices and payments for unusual activity or changes.

  • Monitor your bank and credit card statements for suspicious activity.

  • Be wary of “recovery scams.” Scammers will often reach out with claims that they are investigating the incident and can get your money back.

  • Report the incident to IC3.gov and BBB Scam Tracker. If possible, file and keep a report from your local police. This may be useful during the investigation.

  • Conduct training and testing with employees to help them recognize signs of phishing and how to handle unusual requests for money or information.

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Warn others (report a scam)

Good job taking control of the situation! We recommend taking a few moments to report the scam to the BBB, which can help us fight fraud. If you haven’t already, please consider reporting the incident you encountered to BBB Scam TrackerSM, our prevention and reporting platform.

 

Reporting the scam to the proper channels can help law enforcement shut down scam operations that prey on others; BBB shares its data with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Scam submissions are published on BBB Scam TrackerSM, which enables the public to search the reports and determine whether they are being targeted. BBB Scam TrackerSM reports are also used to publish timely research and consumer education resources. Report your scam incident to BBB Scam TrackerSM. 

Avoid future scams (learn how)

Research indicates that possessing knowledge about scams and scam tactics can help people spot and avoid scams that will inevitably target them. The unfortunate truth is that scammers will always try to steal data, money, and important information from people.

 

Even when scammers are caught, others will replace them. The best defense, then, is to understand what a scam looks like and how to respond. Protect yourself and your loved ones by learning more about scam types and tactics by visiting BBB’s Scam Prevention Guide.