Recognize fake invoices by email: how it works
Fraudsters send thousands of fake invoices by email every day. In this practical tip, we show you certain criteria with which you can immediately recognize a fake invoice.
Fake invoice by email: 5 criteria with which you can recognize fake invoices
Attention: You can drag hidden viruses onto your PC when you download the invoice. Therefore, first go through the following points before downloading an invoice:
- Ordered on account: Did you order anything at all or are you waiting for an invoice? If you recognize from the content of the email that you have definitely not ordered such a product, you can delete the email.
- Invoice format: The format of the supposed invoice is displayed in the mailbox before the download. If it is a ZIP file, it is very likely that the invoice was falsified.
- Check email address: Often a supposedly known name is displayed as the sender. If you move the mouse over the sender, the exact email address will be displayed. Does this sound serious and are you familiar with it?
- Spelling mistakes: Many fake emails with invoices contain numerous spelling mistakes. Of course, a mistake can creep into a real email, but fake emails are brimming with errors.
- Threats: Often the invoices have tight deadlines and threats. Already in the mail (without downloading the invoice) you will often find the threat of execution and fines. There is no such thing in real invoices.
Tip against frequent fake emails
If you often receive fake invoices from the same email address, you can blacklist them:
- GMX: Create blacklist
- Gmail / Googlemail: Create blacklist
On the next page we will show you the options for effectively reporting spam.