Businesses in Elbert County, Georgia, are being warned about fake faxed invoices that look like routine office bills but ask for payment for services the businesses did not request.
The Elbert County Sheriff’s Office said several local businesses reported receiving unsolicited faxes that appeared to be invoices or payment requests from a company called “Med Pulse,” according to FOX Carolina.
The faxes are often addressed to “ATTN: Accounts Payable” instead of naming a specific business contact.
Deputies said the fake invoices claim the business owes an annual fee of $358.80 for a “Secure Fax Routing Service” or “Delivery Confirmation Add-On.”
The Fax Looks Like Routine Office Paperwork
By sending the fax to accounts payable, the scammer is trying to reach the person or department most likely to process invoices. The amount is small enough that a busy office could mistake it for a normal vendor charge.
That is the risk in this type of invoice scam. The fraud does not need to convince an owner, manager, and bookkeeper. It only needs one fake bill to get treated like a routine operating expense.
Deputies Say Businesses Should Check Before Paying
The sheriff’s office is asking businesses to verify the company and the service before making any payment. Businesses should also review invoices carefully and avoid paying for products or services they did not request, deputies said.
Georgia’s consumer protection office says phony invoice scams often use business-style language, account numbers, and attention lines aimed at owners or accounting departments. The agency also warns that scammers may choose amounts small enough to avoid suspicion.
A $358.80 invoice may not trigger the same alarm as a large wire request, but it can still take money from a business that never ordered the service.
The Warning Sign Is The Unknown Service
The invoice name may look official, but the service should be easy to check internally.
If no one approved a “Secure Fax Routing Service” or “Delivery Confirmation Add-On,” the payment should stop before money leaves the business.
Anyone who received a suspicious fax or believes they were targeted by the scam is asked to contact the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office.