Free guide · Payment fraud prevention
Supplier bank-detail fraud checklist
When a supplier asks to change bank details
- 01
Always call back on a number you already hold
Use the number from your supplier records or a previous contract, never the phone number in the email, letter or invoice requesting the change.
- 02
Speak to someone you know
Ask for your usual contact and confirm the change verbally. Ask them to confirm the old account details too.
- 03
Require a second approver
A second person, separate from whoever processes payments, approves every change to supplier bank details before it is saved.
- 04
Make a small test payment first
Send a nominal amount to the new account and confirm receipt with the supplier before paying the full invoice.
- 05
Keep a record of every change
Log who requested the change, how it was verified, who approved it and when. Review the log monthly.
Every day
- 06
Treat urgency as a warning sign
Requests to pay a new account quickly, keep things confidential or bypass the usual process should slow you down, not speed you up.
- 07
Check new supplier set-ups the same way
Verify bank details for new suppliers independently, using contact details from a source other than their first email.
- 08
Look closely at the sender's address
Fraudsters often use lookalike domains, such as one letter changed or a different ending. Check the full address, not just the display name.
- 09
Protect your own email with MFA
Multi-factor authentication on every mailbox makes it much harder for criminals to take over your email and target your customers.
- 10
Know what to do if it goes wrong
Call your bank immediately if you think money has gone to the wrong account, then report it to Report Fraud. Speed matters.
This checklist is general guidance and does not replace advice for your specific circumstances.
Next step
Protect your money as well as your systems.
Payment fraud is where cyber risk and financial risk meet. That's exactly where we work. Start with a short conversation.
30 to 45 minutes, by video or in person
At a time that suits you.
A conversation, not a sales pitch
We want to understand your business first.
A clear proposal
If we can help, you will know what we suggest and what it will cost.