Alert : Electronic invoicing fraud – fake invoices or altered bank details divert payments

Scammers take advantage of the transition to electronic invoicing to send fake invoices, alter bank details or impersonate a supplier.
Stay vigilant: an apparently normal invoice may hide an attempt to divert a payment.

Electronic invoicing fraud

This scam targets individuals, self-employed people, associations and businesses that receive or pay invoices digitally.
The trap consists of making a real or fake invoice be paid into a bank account controlled by the fraudsters.

How it works

Scammers send an invoice by email, through a fake portal or by pretending to be a supplier, service provider, property manager, administration or accounting department.
In some cases, they intercept a real conversation and simply replace the payment bank details with their own.
Their goal is to make the request credible so that the payment is made without any further verification.

Warning signs: sudden change of bank details, unexpected invoice, slightly different email address, urgent tone, suspicious attachment, unusual amount, new payment portal, bank details changed without official confirmation.

A few tips:

• 🧾 Always verify the identity of the sender before paying an unusual invoice.
• 🏦 Confirm any change of bank details by phone using an official number you already know.
• 📧 Carefully examine the sender’s email address and the domain name used.
• 🔗 Do not click on a payment link received in an unexpected message.
• 📂 Compare the invoice with previous documents: logo, tone, references, terms and contact details.
• 👥 Have large payments approved by a second person whenever possible.
• ⚠️ Be wary of messages that impose urgency or an immediate penalty.
• 🧠 If in doubt, block the payment and contact the supplier directly through a reliable channel.

Conclusion

Electronic invoicing makes exchanges easier, but it can also be exploited by fraudsters to make their requests more credible.
Before any payment, especially in the case of new bank details or an unexpected invoice, direct verification remains essential.

Report this type of scam on an official platform such as Report Fraud (UK), the National Cyber Security Centre (UK), ReportFraud.ftc.gov (US), the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (US) or the competent national service in your country, then warn your relatives, colleagues or partners to prevent further fraudulent payments.

To better understand the right reflexes to adopt when faced with suspicious invoices and payment requests, these resources may help:

• 👉 Understand frauds and know how to react effectively
• 👉 Learn the essential reflexes to avoid scams
• 👉 Consult useful anti-fraud resources for consumers

Free tools are also available to check a situation, report a fraud or train yourself to spot traps:

• 👉 Interactive guide to help fraud victims
• 👉 Reporting assistant to find the right official channel
• 👉 Anti-fraud simulator to learn how to detect suspicious signs
• 👉 Suspicious link checker to assess a URL before clicking

Written by : René Ronse
Methodology : Our alert articles are based on regular monitoring of national reporting platforms, feedback from victims, and statements issued by relevant authorities.
About the author : René Ronse, manager of ArnaqueOuFiable.com. Expert in consumer cybersecurity, specialist in detecting online fraud, product transparency, and digital compliance. He has over 20 years of experience analyzing hidden subscription mechanisms, unreadable terms and conditions, aggressive sales tactics, and deceptive commercial practices on the web.
Last updated : 6 June 2026.
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