QuickBooks - Payment Overdue phishing scam

What kind of email is "QuickBooks - Payment Overdue"?

We have examined this email and determined that it is a phishing scam impersonating QuickBooks, the popular accounting software. The message falsely claims the recipient has an outstanding invoice and urges them to download it - but the link leads to a fraudulent Microsoft login page built to steal email account passwords. This email should be ignored.

"QuickBooks - Payment Overdue" email scam overview

The email arrives formatted as an urgent payment notice from QuickBooks. It claims an invoice is past due for $847.50 and presses the recipient to download it immediately to avoid late fees and service interruption. The sense of financial urgency is the hook - designed to get recipients to act without thinking.

Clicking "Download Invoice Now!" does not lead to any real invoice. Instead, the link redirects to a page at v0r-sp.global.ssl.fastly[.]net that mimics a Microsoft SharePoint Online document portal. The page shows what appears to be an Excel spreadsheet in the background, creating the impression that a real document is waiting to be accessed.

A login dialog overlays the fake spreadsheet, displaying the SharePoint Online and Microsoft logos. It shows a pre-filled email address and a field labeled "Enter Email Password," with a "VIEW DOCUMENT" button below. Any password typed into that field is sent directly to the scammers.

Compromised email credentials give cybercriminals access to far more than just the inbox. They can reset passwords for linked accounts, intercept financial alerts, impersonate the victim to contacts, and use the account as a base for further attacks. Email accounts are especially valuable because so many other services use them for account recovery.

Neither QuickBooks nor Microsoft has any association with this scam. Cybercriminals abuse both brand names to appear credible and pressure recipients into acting quickly.

Phishing spam campaign examples

In summary, this is a credential phishing campaign using a fake QuickBooks invoice as bait. The goal is to steal email passwords and use them for account takeover and fraud. Scam emails like this are also sometimes used to spread malware.

More examples of phishing emails distributed via spam are Messages Failure Notifications, Security Review Requested, and Your Accountant Left You A Voicemail.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors use email to spread malware by embedding malicious files as attachments or including links that direct recipients to harmful sites. Common file types include executables, compressed archives, PDF documents, Microsoft Office files with malicious macro commands, and JavaScript scripts. Opening these files - or enabling features within them - can be enough to trigger installation.

Links in malicious emails may redirect to sites that either push downloads automatically or trick users into running harmful programs themselves. In most cases, some form of user action is required - whether clicking a link or interacting with a downloaded file - before an infection begins.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Approach all unsolicited emails with caution, especially those containing links or attachments. If a message claims to be from a known organization but was not expected, verify it through the organization's official website before taking any action.

Download software only from official developer websites and verified app stores. Pirated tools, cracks, and key generators frequently carry hidden malware. Keeping the operating system and all applications updated is also important, since updates patch vulnerabilities that attackers routinely exploit.

Use a reputable antivirus or anti-malware program and keep it active. Avoid granting notification permissions to unfamiliar websites. If a malicious attachment has already been opened, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to detect and remove any threats.

Text presented in the "QuickBooks - Payment Overdue" email letter:

Subject: Invoice #INV- Payment Overdue

PAYMENT OVERDUE NOTICE

Dear QuickBooks user,

Our records indicate that your invoice is now PAST DUE.

Amount Due: $847.50

[Download Invoice Now!]

Please make the payment immediately to avoid late fees and service interruption.

Payment Methods Accepted: Credit Card, PayPal, Bank Transfer, Bitcoin

If you have already made payment, please disregard this notice.

Billing Department

Thanks,
QuickBooks Team

A fake Microsoft SharePoint Online login page used in this scam:

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com.

Quick menu:

• What is QuickBooks - Payment Overdue phishing scam?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using  Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Scammers distribute these emails in bulk to long lists of addresses gathered through data breaches, compromised websites, and similar methods. The messages are not targeted - thousands of people receive identical copies.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?

If you entered your email password on the fake page, change it immediately and update credentials for any account linked to that email. If financial information was also disclosed, contact your bank or the relevant institution without delay.

I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?

Executable files can begin an infection the moment they are opened. Other formats such as PDFs or Office documents are generally less risky on their own but may still require user interaction - like enabling macros - before malware activates. The level of risk depends on the file type.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No. Simply reading an email does not put your computer at risk. An infection can only begin if you click a link, open an attachment, or otherwise interact with content inside the message.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known malware. Running a complete system scan is important, as sophisticated threats may be embedded deep within the system and require a thorough scan to uncover.