Pro Forma Scams

Pro forma invoices may be a quote of shipped items without terms of payment or a document detailing the cost of goods, with no real binding commitment assumed on the recipient.

When an organization encounters an invoice detailing items it did not order or receive, the “phony invoice” may be referred to as a “pro forma invoice.”

The two terms may be used interchangeably and both practices are illegal. If you think you may have encountered a pro forma/phony invoice, try contacting the invoicing organization to determine its legitimacy. If the company is just as phony as the invoice, alert your Better Business Bureau or industry association to warn other unsuspecting organizations.