SCAM LIBRARY · MONEY & PAYMENT

The business-email invoice swap

A scammer pretends to be someone from your company or a trusted vendor and sends a fake invoice or payment request that looks real enough to fool you into sending money.

Documented by the FTC & FBI IC3 · reviewed 2026-07-06

How it works

You receive an email that appears to come from your boss, a colleague, or a regular business partner—often asking you to urgently process a payment, update banking details, or wire funds for an invoice. The message uses your company's style, logo, or familiar language to build trust, and the urgency makes you feel you should act fast without double-checking.

Red flags

• An email asking for payment or banking changes, especially marked 'urgent' or 'confidential,' from someone who would normally call or use a different method
• A slightly odd email address, domain name, or sender name (for example, a missing letter or a lookalike domain) that you only notice if you look closely
• A request to send money to a new or unfamiliar account, or pressure to pay by wire transfer or gift card instead of your normal process

What to do

• Stop and verify directly with the supposed sender—call their known phone number or visit their office in person; do not use contact information from the suspicious email
• Check your company's normal payment and invoice procedures; legitimate vendors usually follow the same process every time
• Report the email to your company's IT or fraud team, and report the scam at reportfraud.ftc.gov