Skip to content
New: AI verdicts in plain language.
Scampilot
← All guidesGuide

Invoice fraud & business email compromise

A scammer poses as a supplier, contractor or boss and emails a fake or altered invoice, or a "change of bank details", to redirect a legitimate payment to their account. Common against businesses but also private home buyers and tenants.

Warning signs

  • A supplier suddenly announces new bank details for an existing invoice.
  • An urgent payment request, often "from the CEO", outside normal process.
  • Slightly altered sender domain or reply-to address.

Example

Please note our change of bank details. Kindly remit payment for the outstanding invoice to our new bank details below for all future transactions.

Made-up example - not a real message.

How to protect yourself

  1. 01Verify any change of bank details by phone using a known number, never the one in the email.
  2. 02Use a two-person rule for large transfers.

Already caught out?

  1. 01Contact your bank instantly to attempt a recall of the transfer.
  2. 02Report to police and warn the impersonated party.

Sources

Unsure about a specific message?

Paste it in - Scampilot checks text, links and numbers and explains the verdict.

Check it now