Fake invoices are a popular way to steal money from inattentive recipients. The Trier police are using a current cluster of cases as an opportunity to issue a warning.

Fake invoice: Take a closer look

“Dear customer, we have attempted to contact you regarding your outstanding invoice(s) and have not yet received a response or payment.”

Example of a fake invoice. Image: Trier Police
Example of a fake invoice. Image: Trier Police

Fake invoices can begin with a sentence like this and are sent to potential victims either by email or by traditional post. The senders and wording of this scam are often different, but the intentions are always the same: the scammers want to get your savings this way.

In the current example, the criminals warn that if payment is not received immediately, they should contact a debt collection agency and take legal action. This would result in further costs.

Criminals rely on victims' forgetfulness

Fraudsters often use shipping service providers as senders, as there is a high probability that they have used one and actually forgotten to pay an invoice. Those who have been harmed can be put under pressure by such formulations. They transfer the sometimes small amounts requested in order to avert the threatened legal and financial consequences.

The police advise!

To recognize counterfeit invoices, the police advise:

  • Don't be fooled by the genuine-looking sender's letterhead
  • Compare the data provided, such as registration numbers and account details, with any existing, stored invoices
  • Can you remember placing an order or using a service? If not, contact customer service via an official number and find out whether they have a legitimate claim against you.
  • If you have already transferred money, contact your bank and try to have the transfer reversed.
  • File a criminal complaint with the police

Source:

Trier Police Headquarters
Already read? A Mimikama fact check: Carousel cars will not be banned in Osnabrück!


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )