How do scams work using fake PayPal invoices?
Scammers send real PayPal invoices for products or services you never ordered, sometimes including a phone number to call, which connects to a fake support agent who attempts to steal account credentials or guide victims through a fraudulent refund process.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Fake PayPal invoice scams are sophisticated because they use PayPal's actual invoicing system — the invoice arrives as a genuine PayPal notification, appearing in your PayPal account and arriving by email from a legitimate PayPal sender address. This makes the invoice look completely authentic at first glance.
The typical invoice claims you purchased an expensive item — often cryptocurrency, a subscription, or a software licence — for a substantial amount. The invoice includes a note or description with a phone number to call if you did not authorise the payment or want to cancel the charge. This phone number is not PayPal's; it connects to a scam operation.
Calling the number reaches a fake PayPal support agent who claims they can process a refund. To do so, they ask you to download remote access software, provide your banking login, or walk through a process that actually results in money being transferred from your account rather than refunded to it. The entire scheme exploits the urgency of seeing a large unexpected charge and the availability of an apparent customer service solution.
The correct response is to ignore the phone number, log into your PayPal account directly by typing paypal.com, and decline the invoice there. Receiving an invoice does not charge you automatically — you must pay it. Declining it with no further action resolves the issue.
Common red flags
- Unexpected PayPal invoice for a product or service you did not order
- Invoice includes a phone number described as PayPal support or a cancellation hotline
- Invoice is for an unusually large amount intended to create urgency
- The invoice note contains a threat — if you do not call, the charge will proceed
- Any remote access software request from someone claiming to be PayPal support
What to do now
- Do not call any phone number found in a PayPal invoice — this is never PayPal's actual support
- Log into your PayPal account at paypal.com directly and decline the invoice there
- Mark the email notification as phishing or report it to [email protected]
- Do not download any software at the request of someone claiming to process a PayPal refund
- If you called the number and provided information, change your PayPal password immediately and contact your bank
- Report the scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
Frequently asked questions
Will I be charged if I ignore a fraudulent PayPal invoice?
No. Declining or ignoring a PayPal invoice means no payment is processed. You are only charged when you approve and pay an invoice. Simply log in and decline it.
How can a fraudulent invoice come from a real PayPal email address?
The invoice is created using a real (usually free) PayPal account. PayPal then sends the legitimate invoice notification on that account's behalf. The fraud is in the content and phone number, not the email sender.