SUPPLIER FRAUD · INVOICES · IBAN
How to detect a fake supplier bank-details change
Bank-detail change fraud exploits accounts-payable processes. A criminal may intercept an expected invoice, alter its bank details or impersonate a trading partner to divert a payment. The invoice and its context may look convincing even when the payment instruction is fraudulent.
To protect your cash flow, combine a supplier IBAN change checker with your internal records, an independent callback and dual approval.
1. Understand invoice interception
The fraudster aims to change the payment destination while keeping the rest of the transaction credible.
An intercepted invoice or impersonated supplier
A compromised mailbox may allow a fraudster to join an ongoing conversation and replace the IBAN on an expected invoice. They may also use a lookalike supplier domain. Not every case involves a breach of the supplier’s mailbox.
A pretext for changing banks
An official-looking letter may cite a merger, audit or change of bank to explain the new IBAN. Verify these documents and explanations with the supplier through a previously established channel.
2. Spot warning signs of fake bank details
A carefully altered document may look unchanged. Compare it against established records and examine the sending channel.
A mismatch with your reference IBAN
Compare the proposed IBAN with the payment details already approved in your ERP. An unexpected country code, such as LT, DE or IE, warrants further checks but does not alone prove fraud. A new domestic bank requires the same independent confirmation.
Sender domain and message history
Inspect the full sender and reply-to domains: a changed character or added word may indicate impersonation. A familiar mailbox may itself be compromised. SPF, DKIM or DMARC checks on an original email provide delivery context, but do not prove that payment instructions are legitimate or identify the account holder.
Urgency and new contact details
Threats of penalties or disrupted deliveries, combined with a new phone number printed on the invoice, may be used to bypass routine approval. Use contact details recorded before the request.
SecurCheck checks IBAN structure and country and can compare it against a supplied reference. It compares provided or extracted beneficiary and company details with the sender domain. Additional domain checks depend on available sources and do not replace examination of the original email headers.
Protect your payment process against supplier impersonation
SecurCheck Business helps accounts-payable teams check supplier bank-detail changes by comparing invoice, beneficiary and sender details with their records. Its report highlights discrepancies to investigate before authorising payment.
An authenticated invoice, valid IBAN or reassuring score does not establish the account holder. Timing depends on the document and available sources; confirm every change through an independent callback and dual approval.
Explore our business offer and protect payments3. The human verification protocol: callback
Pause the payment and call a known number
Call the supplier on a number previously recorded in your ERP, CRM or earlier contract. Do not use a phone number or link from the new message or attachment.
Confirm with your usual contact
Ask your established contact or the supplier’s accounting team to confirm the change and its effective date. Record the verification before changing the supplier entry in your ERP.
Check the beneficiary and obtain approval
Match the legal name and company identifier against your supplier records. A valid IBAN and an existing company do not establish account ownership: use your bank’s payee verification where available, then follow your dual-approval process.
Break the pressure to pay immediately
False urgency is used to bypass payment controls. Reviewing the invoice and bank details, followed by an independent call and separation of duties, helps protect your cash flow. If a suspicious transfer has already been made, alert your bank and finance team immediately.
Related: checking an invoice and IBAN before a transfer