The fake invoice that asks you to call

How it works

The email looks like a receipt or renewal notice: an antivirus subscription, an online store order, a software license. The amount is high enough to make you want to act. There is no link to click and no attachment to open, so it often gets past email filters. There is only a phone number for “billing support.”

When you call, a friendly agent offers to cancel the charge and refund you. To do that, they need to connect to your computer, or have you sign in to your bank “to receive the refund.” Then the trick: they claim they refunded too much by mistake and ask you to send the difference back. Or they install software that lets them return later.

What to do

• Do not call the number in the email. If you think a charge might be real, look up the company yourself and use the contact details on its own website, or check the account directly.
• Check your bank or card statement. If the charge is not there, the email is fake.
• Never let someone connect to your computer to process a refund. Refunds do not need remote access.
• Report it to your IT provider, especially if it arrived at your work address. Others in your company probably got it too.