Carlos was scrolling through his phone when an email notification popped up on the screen from a well-known online payment platform. He went to the email and saw that it was an invoice for a recent purchase.
Since he had recently made a purchase through the platform, Carlos assumed this must be the invoice for that item. The seller’s name sounded familiar, and the amount seemed correct. Carlos clicked on the “View and Pay Invoice” button and made the payment.
The next day, Carlos was checking his bank account and realized he had already paid for the item last week. He went back to the email from the day before and saw that it included a customer service phone number to call if the invoice was not correct. He called the number on the email to dispute the invoice and explain the situation.
The person who answered the phone seemed helpful and told Carlos that he could reverse the transaction. All he needed to do was input the card number and details that the refund would be made to. Carlos provided his card information and left the conversation happy that the issue was resolved. Or so he thought.
Did you spot the red flags?
- Carlos did not confirm what the payment request was for. He assumed it was for a past purchase without double checking the payment amount or seller name.
- Carlos did not check the website that the “View and Pay Invoice” button led him to for signs of a fake website. He assumed it was the legitimate payment platform.
- By calling the phone number on an email that he already knew was suspicious, Carlos put himself at even more at risk.
What you should know about this scam
Always confirm customer service numbers before calling. Avoid giving away credit card details to unconfirmed phone numbers.
Keep track of your online purchases and payments. Always keep record of payments and invoices in case any issues occur.
Scammers are creating fake profiles on popular online payment platforms. They are even impersonating real people and businesses. Be cautious of unsolicited requests or messages from payment platforms.