Invoice fraud: "our bank details have changed"
An email arrives from a supplier you know, saying their bank details have changed. Or a customer pays your invoice, but the money never arrives, because they received a copy with different details on it.
This is payment diversion fraud. It often happens because someone has got into one of the email accounts and is quietly watching for invoices.
The one check that stops it
Whenever bank details change, ring the person on a number you already have — not one in the email — and confirm the new details before paying.
Tell your own customers that you will never change your bank details by email, and put that line on your invoices.
Warning signs
- A request to update bank details, especially with urgency
- A sender address that's one letter different from the usual one
- A customer saying they've paid when nothing has arrived
- Emails in your sent folder or rules in your mailbox you didn't create
If money has gone
Call your bank immediately — the sooner, the better the chance of recovery. Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, then change your email password and check for forwarding rules.