(Palomino Bazaar, LLC)
A Connecticut business owner is speaking out after her company became the target of an invoice scam, highlighting the importance of staying vigilant against fraudulent emails.
BBB Scam Tracker received 200 reports of this scam starting on February 26, but no new reports have been filed since March 10.
The scam involved an email that appeared to come from PayPal, claiming the recipient owed nearly $1,000 to Palomino Bazaar, LLC. The email included links to "view" or "pay" the invoice and provided a phone number to call if the charge was unfamiliar. However, both the links and phone number led to scammers attempting to steal money and personal information.
Kate Ferguson, owner of Palomino Bazaar, LLC, warns consumers that these emails did not originate from her business. “We are deeply concerned and have reported this to the authorities. We encourage consumers not to respond to these emails,” she said. “We’re taking every step possible to further protect our business and our customers.”
The issue has since been resolved and there have been no further phishing emails of this nature.
These scams can happen in numerous ways:
- You receive an invoice or money request through PayPal, but for a product/service/crypto you never ordered. Don’t pay it.
- You receive an invoice or money request through PayPal, and the bad actor has included an alarmist note. The note asks you to call their fake customer service number.
- You receive a fake invoice or money request by email, designed to look like a real PayPal email.
PayPal offers guidance online to users of their services. “These scams are trying to trick you into sending money to a fraudster or providing your personal or financial details to them. Be wary of any messages that are alarmist, warning you to call them quickly to resolve an “issue” on your account.”
BBB tips for businesses to avoid impersonation scams
- Maintain and regularly inspect your online presence
- Do regular searches on your business and its reviews
- Monitor any similar businesses that may overlap with your brand
- Use reverse image search if you believe someone has taken pictures from your website
Report this and other scams to BBB’s Scam Tracker, even if you don’t lose money, to warn others.
BBB Connecticut contributed this scam alert.