Warning: fake invoices from HSI going around
Extra vigilance needed over the holiday period
At this time of year, most of us like to take time off. But scammers are often at their busiest. Over the summer, there's usually a spike in misleading and dishonest payment requests, or 'fake invoices'. Most are sent by e-mail, but some arrive by post. Scammers send fake invoices for all sorts of goods and services, sadly including domain name-related services. One example that we came across recently is reproduced below. These documents may look like genuine invoices or tenders, but they aren't! Don't be fooled!
Not an invoice, but an offer
At the bottom of the document below, the small print explains that it's not really an invoice at all, but an offer. The sender is offering to register the .co or .info version of the recipient's .nl domain name.
What's more, if you try to visit the sender's website at www.hsidh.com, you'll find that the domain name isn't in active use, but is up for sale.
What can you do?
If you get an 'invoice' like this, don't pay it.
Report all fake invoices to the Fraud Help Desk.
Over the holiday period, it's important to be extra-vigilant. Remind people within your organisation about the threat posed by fake invoices. Take a look at this article we published a while ago: Beware: Stand-ins and holiday temps targeted by cybercrooks
How can you tell whether an invoice is a fake?
Check out this so-called invoice from HSI Domein & Hosting.
