8 billion. That’s the amount of spam email sent every day in the U.S. The staff at Komando (including me!) has received some truly amazing emails recently.
We’re giving away a new iPhone 16. No purchase necessary. Enter now for a chance to win!
Let’s take a look at some actual spam emails currently in circulation.
$40,000 fake invoice scam
Paul emailed me about a $39,500 invoice and demanded immediate payment. What was the problem? I didn’t owe him a cent. The subject was “Forward: Past Due Invoice 324476” and it was followed by an email exchange between me (using my personal work email address) and someone named “Paul Delcroix.”
If autocorrect is annoying you, fix it
His emails said that he was behind on an invoice and he wanted the money immediately. It really seemed like “Paul” and I were in business together. In one email, I said I needed a follow-up call. In another, I asked “Paul” to email Amber, our finance director, so she could send the money.
“Paul” created an entire thread and used it to trick Amber into thinking I had already approved the invoice. This scammer knew a lot about us, including my personal email address, Amber’s role at the company, and Amber’s email address. They even knew our company’s industry. “Paul” was trying to charge us for using his “Broadcast Ethics” legal materials and representation.
Don’t be fooled. Amber forwarded me that email and it set off alarm bells for her because when we are planning to spend a large amount of money, she is almost always included in the conversation. If she is not included, I will let her know later because she is the one paying the day to day bills.
Scammers are willing to fake entire email conversations to get what they want from you. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)
Related: Chilean gangsters tried to break into my house.
Becoming a geek
Has anyone called Geek Squad? Content Queen Allie hasn’t called, but she keeps getting email receipts for subscriptions she never signed up for.
Why? Because they want your money. They try to trick you into thinking you’ve forgotten to pay by sending you realistic (but fake) invoices. These emails usually include a request for your credit card and bank details.
If you don’t fall for this trick, there is often a phone number listed to call to inquire about the bill. If you call, the scammer will pretend to be customer service and try to get you to make a payment over the phone or scam you in other ways.
How to get cheap stuff (for storage or resale)
Dirty Money
Sex blackmail scams are becoming more and more aggressive, with Commando’s IT genius John being the latest target. John received a suspicious email with a PDF attachment that included his full name, work address, phone number and the threat, “This is no joke.”
The sender claims to have footage of John doing “embarrassing things” (such as browsing pornographic sites) and that with just a few clicks they can send the footage to all of John’s contacts.
And just as we reported, the scammers ended the incident by attaching a photo of John’s location – one of the entrances to our broadcast headquarters.
So what’s the problem? These perverts also want your money. In this case, they’re asking you to deposit $1,950 in Bitcoin to a specified address. Their goal is to scare and excite you into paying up. After all, who doesn’t want their grandma to catch them doing something naughty?


A hacker is depicted. (iStock)
They don’t actually have any footage of you, and many other victims have reported receiving the exact same message. Don’t take the bait.
Related: Kitboga exposes shocking new scam.
Pay attention
I received several emails from Ian asking me to change my direct debit information…except it wasn’t actually Ian.
Double dive: These scammers are after your money and business information. If I had fallen for this, I would have given the hacker my company bank account number and other protected information.
A hint? Ian would definitely raise this question with the accounting team rather than me, and if you click anywhere his name is listed as the sender, you’ll see an email address that’s clearly not his.
20 tech tricks to make your life better, safer and easier
One simple rule of thumb
If you run a business, this story will surprise you. I approve all of my own expenses. Sure, I’m busy recording a national radio show, writing a daily newsletter, and running a business, but I’m the person most familiar with my spending. I can see through these tricks right away.
While the final approval doesn’t necessarily have to come from the business owner, it’s a good idea to have multiple people involved in the payment process. An invoice shouldn’t be paid unless someone confirms, “Yes, this is a service we’re paying for. This invoice is real.”


The photo shows a person holding a Visa Premier credit card in front of a computer screen displaying an Internet website with a message warning against fraud. (Valerie Ash/AFP via Getty Images)
In the age of deepfakes, this is more important than ever, as it is easy to deceive someone who is signing a payment by pretending to be a contractor or employee.
Related: How to block political text messages
Going a step further
I encourage all companies to come up with a payment password, safe word, confirmation, whatever you like to call it. Let’s say our word is “Tangerine.” The idea is that both the person approving the payment and the colleague or company executive requesting the payment have to say this word.
In the engineering company example, the deepfake worked perfectly: employees thought they were really speaking to the CFO. But what if the CFO just gave them a blank stare when they asked for verification instructions? The whole thing would have fallen apart.
It’s a simple way to protect your business, your team, and your money.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Use technology wisely to fit your schedule
Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating technology.
Copyright 2024, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.