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I just came across this scam email that has probably been around for a while, but this is the first time it caught my eye. I wanted to take a quick look at it to help others recognize the warning signs.
Notice that it appears to be an invoice from PayPal, but there are immediate red flags. It says “invoice from” and then shows a sender I don’t recognize. The wording is off, and it feels strange. They’re trying to get you to call a toll-free number, claiming that if you don’t contact them, the invoice will be approved. They’re also using a large amount—like a $3,000 invoice—to scare you into calling quickly.
One part of the email says your payment went through successfully with your checking account, and if you did not authorize it, you should contact them immediately. That doesn’t make sense. If you haven’t paid it yet, how could it have already gone through?
What’s interesting is that it actually did come through PayPal’s system. If you look at the email details, it’s using PayPal’s invoicing. The scammers are leveraging that to make it look authentic. They generate and send a real invoice through PayPal, adding verbiage designed to scare you into calling their number. Once they get you on the phone, that’s when they try to trick you into giving them access to your account or making a payment somewhere else, or they might try to phish for your login details.
I tried to call the number, and it went straight to a full mailbox. They’re either not running their scam very well, or they’re getting so many calls that their voicemail is overloaded. Either way, when I clicked on the invoice in PayPal, the system had already flagged it. It said the invoice isn’t available and was removed because it might be a scam. Fraud protection tools seem to have caught it. PayPal even includes a warning not to call any numbers or click any links.
If you receive something like this and you’re just looking at the email itself, be very cautious. The scammers want to scare you into calling them. If they do answer, they’ll use social engineering tactics to trick you. That’s where it gets dangerous.
If you see suspicious invoices, just ignore them. Even if PayPal hasn’t caught it yet, don’t rush to pay. Another trick these scammers use is to send random invoices, hoping someone—perhaps a busy bookkeeper at a company that processes many invoices daily—will just pay without a second thought. This is one way they succeed in stealing money.
These scammers are always looking for new ways to take advantage of people. They’re relying on the credibility of PayPal’s platform to make their fake invoices look legitimate. Stay alert for any oddities, unusual requests, or pressure tactics. Always double-check invoices, verify the sender, and don’t fall for these scare tactics.
In short, watch out for red flags, be careful with unsolicited invoices, and don’t get caught up in their schemes.