Fake Payment Confirmations Sent to Your Business
A customer emails remittance advice or a receipt to prove payment, and wants goods released. The payment never arrives. How fake confirmations work and how to check.
A new customer places a large order and sends "remittance advice" or a bank receipt the same day, asking for fast dispatch. It looks official. The money never arrives, and the goods are gone.
Common forms
- Edited bank receipts or screenshots. See fake payment screenshots.
- Remittance advice for payments that were never made.
- Emails that appear to come from a bank. See fake international confirmations.
- Attachments that are really phishing. See invoice phishing.
How to protect your business
- Release goods only when funds show as available in your own account.
- Be cautious with new customers making large, urgent orders.
- Check delivery addresses and contact details for new accounts.
- Treat unexpected "remittance" attachments with suspicion.
A document is not money. Only your own balance proves payment.
Related: fake payment alerts for traders. For more, see our guide to business cybersecurity.
Frequently asked questions
What is remittance advice?
A document from a customer showing a payment they have made or scheduled. It is not proof that money has arrived.
Can fake remittance advice contain malware?
Yes. Some 'remittance' attachments are phishing or malware. Open attachments carefully.
What is the only reliable proof?
Money showing as available in your own bank or payment account.
Sources
- How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams, US Federal Trade Commission
- Cybersecurity for Small Business, US Federal Trade Commission
- Suspicious email actions, UK National Cyber Security Centre
