Phase 2 — Digital and Emerging Schemes · 7 min read
10 · Payment Apps and Unauthorized Payment Links
Customer payment links pointing to a personal account on a consumer payment app.
01The personal QR code
Consumer payment apps — Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and similar — let anyone collect money with a username or a QR code. A fraudster replaces the business's payment link with one that routes to a personal account. Customers believe they paid the business; the business never sees the money.
- Payment links, QR codes, or usernames that do not match the business's registered accounts.
- Invoices or receipts generated outside the company's normal billing system.
- Customer screenshots showing payment to a personal handle rather than the business.
- A payment app account in an owner's name receiving funds that belong to the company.
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11 · Leads and Customers Redirected Through Social Media
Business-generated leads and customers steered to a competing venture owned by the fraudster.
12 · AI-Assisted Documents and Impersonation
Invoices, signatures, and communications fabricated or altered with generative AI tools.
13 · Cryptocurrency Receipts Diverted to Private Wallets
Crypto payments accepted on the business's behalf but routed to a wallet the partners cannot see.
14 · Fictitious Customers Used to Hide Missing Inventory
Fake sales to nonexistent customers that explain away inventory that was actually stolen.