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What to do if…
you receive an invoice or bill for a purchase or service you did not order

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Do not pay it and do not use any link, QR code, attachment, or phone number on the invoice. Check through trusted routes whether a real charge, account, order, or debt exists, then dispute or report it through official channels.

Do not do these things

  • Do not pay just to stop pressure, avoid collections, or make the message go away while you are unsure.
  • Do not click links, open attachments, scan QR codes, or call numbers printed on the invoice.
  • Do not provide passwords, one-time passcodes, Social Security number, bank details, card details, or identity documents to “confirm” anything.
  • Do not agree to a payment plan or say the debt is yours while you are still checking it.
  • Do not ignore a real court summons or lawsuit paperwork; those can have deadlines.
  • Do not throw the invoice away; keep a copy for disputes and reports.

What to do now

  1. Save the invoice and basic evidence. Keep the envelope or letter, save the email, take screenshots, and write down the date it arrived.

  2. Check whether money actually moved.

    • Look at recent bank, credit-card, debit-card, payment-app, and online account activity for a matching charge.
    • Use only trusted access routes: type the company website yourself, use a saved app, or use the phone number on your card, statement, or existing account paperwork.
    • Do not sign in through the invoice link.

  3. Check whether the named company is real and whether it has an order for you.

    • Find the company’s contact details independently from its official website or from account paperwork you already had.
    • Ask whether there is an order, account, subscription, or balance under your name, address, email address, or phone number.
    • If the company says it has no record, keep that response with your evidence.

  4. If you find a charge you do not recognize, contact the issuer through a trusted route.

    • For a credit or debit card, use the number on the back of the card or on your statement.
    • Ask how to file a billing dispute and where to send it.
    • For credit-card billing errors, a written dispute generally must be sent within 60 days after the first statement showing the error was sent to you. Some issuers also allow online or phone disputes, but ask whether written follow-up is needed.

  5. If a debt collector contacts you about it, slow the conversation down.

    • Ask for the debt validation information.
    • If the debt is not yours, dispute it in writing within the 30-day window shown in the notice, if you can.
    • Keep copies of letters, emails, notices, envelopes, and screenshots.
    • Avoid giving extra personal details, especially your Social Security number, to “verify” yourself.

  6. If the invoice suggests identity theft, check your credit reports and protect new credit.

    • Use the official free credit report site to look for unfamiliar accounts, addresses, collections, or hard inquiries.
    • Report confirmed or likely identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov.
    • Consider a fraud alert if someone may be trying to open credit in your name; you generally contact one nationwide credit bureau and it must tell the other two.
    • Consider a credit freeze if you want stronger protection against new credit accounts; you generally need to place it separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

  7. If unordered merchandise shows up, do not negotiate payment for it.

    • You generally do not have to pay for merchandise you did not order.
    • Focus on disputing any related charge, saving proof, and reporting the attempt.

  8. Report the scam attempt.

    • Report invoice scams and phishing attempts to the Federal Trade Commission.
    • If the invoice came by U.S. Mail, or the mail was used in the scheme, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

What can wait

  • You do not need to prove to the sender today that it is fake.
  • You do not need to decide today whether to take legal action.
  • You do not need to contact every agency at once. If there is no charge, no account, and no identity-theft sign, saving evidence, verifying safely, and reporting may be enough for now.
  • You do not need to solve your whole credit record tonight; first check for immediate loss or new-account signs.

Important reassurance

An invoice is not proof that you owe money. These messages are often designed to create urgency, and taking a slower route through your bank, card issuer, official company contacts, and official reporting sites is safer than responding to the invoice itself.

Scope note

These are first steps to prevent loss, preserve useful records, and reduce immediate harm. Later decisions about lawsuits, repeated collections, credit-report disputes, or confirmed identity theft may need specialist help.

Important note

This guide is general information for urgent first steps and harm prevention. It is not legal, financial, or professional advice.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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