PayPal Scams: fake invoice on PayPal

PayPal Scams: fake invoice on PayPal

If you have a PayPal account, sooner or later you will receive a fake invoice. A common example is the one below, a scammer sending you a bill for $192.,00 for a Norton 360 account. Maybe you do have a Norton 360 subscription, maybe not, but this is an obvious fraud. 

How does the fake invoice scam on PayPal work?

First, technically, the invoice isn't fake; it really is an invoice, a bill.  But it is fake in the sense that you don't owe it and everything else about it is fake.

Basically, anyone can email a bill to your PayPal account, if they know your email address.  So, the scammers harvest (obtain) This scam hinges on the fact that these fake invoices aren't technically fake at all: they are real PayPal invoices, created by fraudsters to mimic an invoice from a real entity like GoDaddy or the World Health Organization (WHO).

The idea is that, because the invoice appears to come from a well known and reputable organization, you may believe the invoice is legitimate and pay up without thinking. Because the invoices are real PayPal invoices (although made by a scammer), once you click "Pay" your money will be automatically transferred via your PayPal account to the fraudster.

See this page for an example of a scam phishing email claiming to be from PayPal.

Sutton Tech
Michelle Sutton
7429 Quail Wood Dr
Charlotte, NC 28226

Invoice #13385
Issued : May 6, 2022
Due : May 6, 2022
$192.22
OVERDUE
lorikdemiri561@yahoo.com

Items
Norton 360 Protection
$192.22
1 x$192.22
Subtotal
$192.22
Shipping
$0.00
Total
$192.22

Note to customer

Thank you for your Subscription for Norton 360 Protection, $192.22 has been successfully charged from your account.
We strive to serve you 24x7.
If you tend to cancel this subscription, call us immediately at +1(810)207-5777

How to cancel a bill on PayPal

1. From the dashboard, click the "Recent Activity" link.
2. Click on "view details" for the pending invoice or click on the ">".
3. You should see the option the PAY or CANCEL the invoice. Click CANCEL.
4. Write a message, if desired, to the account that sent the invoice, like. "**bleep** off scammer".
5. Click the confirmation button shows up in my completed activity as "Canceled - Invoice Received" and there is a strike-thru on the amount.

What to do, if you PAID the "invoice"

It is unlikely you will get your money back, but you can file a dispute with PayPal for fraud:

1. Go to PayPal's Resolution Center at paypal.com/disputes/
2. Click Report a Problem
3. Scroll through your list of transactions until you come across the fraudulent invoice. Click the white bubble next to the listing and click Continue in the bottom-right corner
4. Follow the onscreen steps to complete your dispute