Fake invoice scam
Sending businesses or individuals a fraudulent invoice for goods or services never ordered or delivered, hoping it will be paid without thorough checking.
Also known as: phantom invoice scam, directory listing scam
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Fake invoice scams target businesses by submitting invoices for products or services that were never requested or provided. Common targets include advertising space, domain renewals, directory listings, and 'renewal' of services the business may vaguely use.
The invoices are designed to look official, with convincing logos and payment terms, and are counted on to slip through accounts-payable processes — especially at larger organisations where individual invoice amounts may not trigger senior scrutiny.
This scam is distinct from invoice fraud (where a genuine invoice's payment details are hijacked) — here, the entire invoice is fabricated. Robust purchase-order matching (requiring invoices to correspond to an approved PO) defeats most fake invoice attacks.