How to Spot a Fake Payment Request Before You Lose Money

You open your email and see an invoice from a vendor your company uses every month. The amount looks right, the logo is correct, and the language matches previous invoices. You approve the payment. Three days later, your real vendor calls asking where this month's payment is.

The invoice was fake. The money is gone.

Business email compromise and fake payment requests cost victims over $2.9 billion in 2023 alone, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. And it is not just businesses — individuals receive fake Venmo requests, fraudulent PayPal invoices, and phishing Zelle notifications every day.

How Fake Payment Requests Actually Work

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Attackers compromise or spoof a vendor's email address, then send legitimate-looking invoices with updated bank details. The email comes from what appears to be a trusted contact, making it incredibly difficult to detect.

Common BEC tactics include:

• Spoofed email domains — using "company-billing.com" instead of "company.com"
• Compromised vendor accounts — the email genuinely comes from the vendor's address
• Reply chain hijacking — inserting a fake invoice into an existing email thread

Fake P2P Payment Requests

Scammers send payment requests through Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, and Zelle that appear to come from real people or businesses.

• A "friend" on Venmo requests money for a dinner you do not remember
• PayPal sends an invoice from a business you have never heard of
• A text message claims you owe money on Zelle with a link to pay immediately

Phishing Invoice Emails

Mass-distributed fake invoices from companies like Norton, McAfee, or Geek Squad claim you owe money for a subscription renewal. The email includes a phone number to call, which connects you to a scam call center.

Red Flags That Expose a Fake Payment Request

Red Flag	What to Check
New or changed bank details	Call the sender on a known number to confirm
Urgency or threats	"Pay within 24 hours or face legal action" is a pressure tactic
Unexpected request	You do not recall ordering this service or product
Slight email domain changes	Compare carefully: "accounting@amaz0n.com" vs "accounting@amazon.com"
Generic greeting	"Dear Customer" instead of your actual name
Poor grammar or formatting	Legitimate companies proofread their invoices
Request for unusual payment method	Gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers to a new account

How to Verify Any Payment Request

Step 1: Never Use Contact Info from the Request Itself

If an invoice includes a phone number or reply email, do not use it. Look up the company's contact information independently — from their official website, your existing records, or a previous verified email.

Step 2: Compare Against Previous Invoices

Pull up the last legitimate invoice from this sender. Compare the bank details, email address, invoice format, and amounts. Any differences should trigger verification.

Step 3: Call Before You Pay

For any payment over $500, or any request involving changed bank details, pick up the phone and call the sender directly. This single step prevents the majority of BEC scams.

Step 4: Check the Email Header

Email headers reveal the actual sending server. If an email claims to be from your vendor but the header shows it originated from a different domain, it is fraudulent. Most email clients let you view headers through a "Show Original" or "View Source" option.

Step 5: Use a Secure Channel to Confirm Payment Details

When a vendor sends new payment instructions, do not confirm through the same email thread. Use a separate, verified communication channel. Services like LOCK.PUB let you share and receive payment details through password-protected memos that auto-expire, preventing sensitive financial information from sitting in email threads indefinitely.

Platform-Specific Scams to Watch For

Venmo Scams

• Overpayment scam: Someone "accidentally" sends you money and asks for it back. The original payment was made with a stolen card and will be reversed.
• Fake purchase request: A buyer sends payment for an item, then disputes the charge after receiving the goods.
• Random request from a stranger: If you do not know the person, decline the request immediately.

PayPal Scams

• Fake invoice email: PayPal allows anyone to send invoices. Receiving one does not mean you owe anything.
• Shipping address change: A buyer pays, then asks you to ship to a different address — voiding your seller protection.
• "Your account is limited" phishing: Emails claiming your PayPal account needs verification, leading to a fake login page.

Zelle Scams

• Bank impersonation: A call or text claims to be your bank, asking you to Zelle money to yourself to "reverse a fraudulent charge." The money goes to the scammer's account.
• Marketplace overpayment: Similar to the Venmo overpayment scam — they send too much and request a refund.

What to Do If You Paid a Fake Request

1. Contact your bank immediately — Request a payment recall or chargeback
2. Report to the platform — File fraud reports on Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle
3. File an FBI IC3 report — Visit ic3.gov for business email compromise
4. Document everything — Save emails, screenshots, and transaction records
5. Alert your company — If this was a business payment, notify your IT and finance teams immediately

Build a Verification Habit

The most effective defense against fake payment requests is a simple verification habit: never approve a payment based solely on an email or message. Always confirm through a separate channel.

For sharing legitimate payment information with clients or vendors, use LOCK.PUB to create password-protected memos that expire after a set time. No sensitive details lingering in email threads, no screenshots floating around, and a clear audit trail of when information was accessed.

Create a Secure Payment Memo →