It happened again— and this time, the scammers got even more sophisticated.
On March 2, 2026, someone impersonating me sent an email to our accounting team, “approving” a fake $95,000 invoice from a company called VertexOne Solutions. The email appeared to come from “Dennis Yu @ blitzmetrics.com” and instructed our team to pay immediately to claim a 50% discount.
The invoice looked polished and professional— complete with a Sunnyvale, CA address, detailed service descriptions for “Strategy & Feasibility Assessment” and “Executive Development & Methodology,” and ACH wire transfer instructions to a Citibank account. The total was $190,000, conveniently “discounted” to $95,000 if paid before the project kickoff date.
But here’s the thing: VertexOne Solutions doesn’t exist as a vendor we work with. We never engaged them for any services. This was a pure fabrication designed to steal nearly six figures from our company.
How the Scam Worked
The scammer sent a fake invoice email from receivables@ar-remitportal.com (a domain designed to look like a legitimate remittance portal) to accounting@blitzmetrics.com, posing as “Peter Williams, Billing Team Lead” at VertexOne Solutions.
Then, the scammer sent a second email impersonating me, telling our accounting team:
“Approved. Please ensure payment is made tomorrow morning to claim the 50% discount on the Advisory Engagement invoice below. Send remittance details to VertexOne Solutions at receivables@ar-remitportal.com once completed.”
This is the classic CEO impersonation scam (also called Business Email Compromise or BEC). The scammer counts on the urgency and authority of the “boss” to bypass normal verification procedures.
The Red Flags We Spotted
The sender’s email address was wrong. The “approval” email came from pro@nordinary.co.kr— a Korean domain that has nothing to do with BlitzMetrics.
We never engaged VertexOne Solutions. There was no contract, no prior communication, and no services rendered.
The urgency was manufactured. A “50% discount” expiring the next day is a classic pressure tactic designed to make you act before you think.
The wire transfer details were suspicious. The invoice included full ACH and wire instructions to a Citibank account— legitimate invoices from real vendors don’t typically arrive unsolicited with wire transfer details demanding immediate payment.
The invoice amounts were inflated. $95,000 for “Strategy & Feasibility Assessment” and $65,000 for “Executive Development & Methodology” from a company we’ve never heard of? That’s absurd.
The remittance email domain was fake. ar-remitportal.com is designed to look official, but it’s not associated with any legitimate payment processing platform.
Screenshots of the Scam
Below are the actual screenshots from this scam attempt so you can see exactly what these fraudulent emails and invoices look like:
What to Do If This Happens to You
Never pay an invoice you didn’t initiate. If you don’t have a signed contract or purchase order, there is no invoice to pay.
Verify directly with the person who “approved” it. Don’t reply to the email— call them or message them through a known channel.
Check the sender’s actual email address. Hover over the “From” name to reveal the real email address. In this case, it was from a Korean domain, not blitzmetrics.com.
Report it. Forward phishing emails to the FTC (reportphishing@apwg.org) and file a complaint at ic3.gov (the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center).
Educate your team. Every person in your company who touches finances needs to know about BEC scams. One moment of inattention can cost you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This is the second time scammers have targeted BlitzMetrics with fake invoice schemes. The first time was a $19,000 fake Oracle invoice in August 2024. The playbook is the same— impersonate the CEO, create urgency, and pressure the accounting team into wiring money.
Stay vigilant. Verify everything. And share this article with your team so they know what to look for.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is the CEO of Local Service Spotlight, a platform that amplifies the reputations of contractors and local service businesses using the Content Factory process. He is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other brands.
Dennis has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs by partnering with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Through Local Service Spotlight, he teaches the Dollar a Day strategy and Content Factory training to help local service businesses enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring.
Dennis coaches young adult agency owners serving plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians, and believes there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers must be certified.