Guide · Updated 2026-10-15 · By the PayOrScam team
How to check if an invoice is a scam (step by step)
Fake and altered invoices work because they look routine. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded about $3.05 billion in reported business email compromise losses in 2025, a category that includes fake invoices and changed payment details. Here's how to check one yourself in about ten minutes.
Find the company yourself. Don't use the links or numbers on the invoice. Search for the company and open its official website.
Check the official register. UK companies must appear on Companies House; check the name, number, status (active vs dissolved) and registered address. US public companies appear on SEC EDGAR; most private US firms are on their state's business register.
Compare the email domain letter by letter with the official website. Lookalikes swap letters (rn for m), add words ("-billing", "-support"), or use free webmail.
Check the website's age. Use ICANN Lookup to see when the domain was created; a site created weeks ago for an "established" supplier is a warning sign. The Wayback Machine shows how long the site has existed.
Check the bank details. Is the account in the same country as the company? Has the supplier suddenly asked you to pay a new account? Treat any change of bank details as suspicious until confirmed by phone.
Search for warnings. Search the company, website and phone number with words like "scam" or "fraud", and check regulator lists such as IOSCO I-SCAN for investment-type firms.
Call to confirm, using a number from the official website or a previous genuine invoice, never the one on the suspicious document.
PayOrScam runs these checks automatically and shows the source for each finding, but the final confirmation call is always worth making.