Invoice scams

Fraudsters target people that are paying an invoice, especially for large amounts.

We reveal their methods to help you avoid this scam.

How to spot and avoid invoice scams

How to pay an invoice safely

When you need to pay a bank account that you’ve never paid before, follow these two steps:

Call the person or business
Use a phone number you trust, not one from an email or invoice.
Find a genuine phone number from a company’s website, a business card or one that you’ve used before.
Fraudsters can add their own phone number to an invoice or email.
Confirm payment details
Make sure you have the right name, account number and sort code.
When you make a payment, we’ll warn you if a name doesn’t match an account.
If you pay a fraudster’s account, it’s very hard for you to get your money back.
If you're paying a large amount of money, send a few pounds first. Then call to make sure they’ve got it before you pay the rest.

Learn about other scams and how to protect yourself