Why service businesses are targets
- Your phone number is public and you answer unknown numbers, because any of them could be a customer.
- Many people can approve a payment — an office manager, a bookkeeper, an owner on a job site — and a busy person is easier to rush.
- You buy from many suppliers, so one more invoice doesn’t stand out.
- Your listings and reviews matter, which makes “listing” and “reviews” pitches tempting.
The scams to know
These come from the FTC’s guide Scams and Your Small Business, with notes on how each tends to reach a service business.
| Scam | How it works | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fake invoices and unordered merchandise | A bill arrives for supplies, listings or services nobody ordered, hoping it gets paid on autopilot | Check every invoice against a purchase order or a person who ordered it |
| Directory listing and advertising scams | A caller offers a “free” listing or asks you to “confirm” details; a large bill follows, sometimes backed by a recording of the call | Don’t confirm details or agree to anything on an unsolicited call; ask for it in writing |
| Utility and government impersonators | A caller says your power or water will be cut off, or your license suspended, unless you pay now | Hang up and call back on a number from your bill or the official website |
| Tech support scams | A pop-up or call claims your computer has a problem and asks for payment or remote access | Never give remote access to someone who contacted you first |
| Phishing and ransomware | Emails and texts that look real lead to fake login pages or malware | Don’t click links or open attachments you weren’t expecting |
| Online review offers | Offers to boost or remove reviews | The FTC notes that buying or manipulating reviews is illegal; decline |
| Fake checks | An “overpayment” with a request to send back the difference | Wait for funds to truly clear; never refund an overpayment from a new customer |
Phone rules for your office
Most of these scams start with a phone call. A few rules, applied every time, stop most of them:
- Don’t trust caller ID. It can be faked — that’s the FTC’s own advice. A call that “looks like” your utility or bank proves nothing.
- Call back on a number you already have — from a bill, a contract or the official website — never one the caller gives you.
- Never pay or confirm on an unsolicited call. Real suppliers and agencies will put it in writing.
- Urgency is a red flag. “Today or your service is cut off” is designed to stop you checking.
- One person approves payments, and invoices are matched to an order before they’re paid.
If you use a receptionist service or an AI receptionist, write the same rules into how vendor and sales calls are handled — for example, take a message rather than transferring unknown “billing” callers straight to whoever pays the bills.
Phishing links and attachments
The FTC’s advice for unexpected emails and texts is simple: don’t click links, open attachments or download files. In practice, office staff click things. Layers help:
- Turn on multi-factor sign-in for email, banking and your job-management software.
- Keep computers and browsers updated.
- Use a browser extension that blocks known phishing and scam sites. Our sister product Shieldra (also from iClick Solutions, the company behind Voxenara) blocks phishing websites, malware domains and scam pages in Chrome, Firefox and Edge, with a free tier.
- When something looks off and you want a second opinion before clicking, ask someone who knows — your IT provider, or an on-demand expert such as HelpByExperts tech support, another iClick Solutions service.
Businesses that text customers should also make sure their own messages look trustworthy: registered numbers, the business name in every text, and no surprise links. Our A2P 10DLC guide covers that.
If you’ve been scammed
- Contact your bank or card issuer immediately to try to stop or reverse the payment.
- Change passwords for any account you entered on a suspicious page, and turn on multi-factor sign-in.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Tell your team what happened and how to spot it next time.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common scams targeting small businesses?
The FTC's guide for small businesses describes fake invoices and unordered merchandise, fake directory listing and advertising offers, impersonators claiming to be a utility or government agency, tech support scams, phishing and ransomware, fake checks, and misleading equipment leasing or card processing deals.
What is a directory listing scam?
A caller offers a 'free' listing or asks you to 'confirm' your business details, and you later receive a bill for a listing or advertising you never agreed to. The FTC notes scammers may use details of the call, or even a recording of it, to pressure you into paying.
How do I check whether a call from my utility or a government agency is real?
Hang up and call back using a number you look up yourself, such as the one on your bill or the agency's official website. The FTC's advice is not to trust caller ID, because it can be faked.
Where do I report a scam targeting my business?
In the US, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reports help law enforcement spot patterns and take action.