I received an invoice for something I never ordered — what do I do?
An invoice you never asked for creates no obligation to pay, however official it looks. Do not pay, do not call the premium number on it, and do not "cancel" through their link — that is how they confirm your details. Dispute it once, in writing: "I have never ordered this; I will not pay." Report the sender to Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133), which logs fake-invoice and directory-listing scams and warns others; if the invoice imitates a real company or authority, Action Fraud (England, Wales, NI) / Police Scotland (0300 123 2040) wants the sample. If reminders turn into threats of collection, Police — 101 / report online (999 in an emergency) (101) takes the crime report.
🗣️ What to say
"I received your invoice [number] dated [date] for [what]. I have never ordered or agreed to this. I dispute the invoice in full and will not pay. Please confirm in writing that it is cancelled and remove my details from your records."
🪜 Step by step
- Check it is really unknownSearch the company name plus "invoice" — most fake senders are already listed as scams. Compare with your real subscriptions and domain renewals.
- Dispute once, in writingEmail, keep a copy. You do not owe them an explanation; a clear "not ordered, will not pay" is enough.
- Report to Citizens Advice consumer helplineAttach the invoice. Consumer authorities and fraud desks collect these to warn others and, for businesses, to prosecute directory scams.
- Imitated a real brand or authority?Send it to Action Fraud (England, Wales, NI) / Police Scotland as well — the real organisation or the police fraud unit. Never use contact details from the invoice itself.
- Collection threatsA debt collector must stop when a debt is disputed. Tell them in writing that it is disputed and fraudulent; see the debt-collector page.
📇 All contacts
❓ Frequently asked
They say I agreed by phone or by "not objecting"
Silence is not a contract, and for consumers a phone agreement alone is not enough in most EU countries — a written confirmation is required. For businesses, check whether someone really signed something; even then, misleading forms are void.
Can it hurt my credit score?
Not without a court judgment, which a fraudulent sender will never seek. Keep your dispute letter in case a collector pretends otherwise.
I already paid
Ask the bank for a chargeback (card) or recall (transfer) the same day, and add the payment to your report to Police — 101 / report online (999 in an emergency).
📎 Sources
- Citizens Advice consumer helpline →
- Action Fraud (England, Wales, NI) / Police Scotland →
- Police — 101 / report online (999 in an emergency) →
- Civil Legal Advice / Citizens Advice / Law Centres →
🔎 Common searches
Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.
- “fake invoice what to do the UK”
- “received invoice never ordered”
- “directory listing scam invoice”
- “report ghost invoice the UK”
- “do i have to pay unsolicited invoice”
🧭 Is this still correct?
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