Most fake invoices look completely real: the right logo, the right amount, the right reference. What gives them away is almost never the design. It’s the payment details, and the email the invoice arrived in. Here’s the checklist I’d run on any invoice that changes how or where you pay.
The 2-minute checklist
- Compare the bank details with the last invoice you paid. A new IBAN, sort code or account number is the single biggest warning sign, however good the reason given.
- Read the sender’s address one character at a time. Look-alikes swap letters (rn for m, a capital I for an l), add a word (“-accounts”, “-billing”) or change the ending (.co instead of .ie or .co.uk).
- Check where a reply would go. Press reply and look at the address before you write anything. If it’s different from the sender, treat the email as suspicious.
- Look closely at the invoice itself. Does the invoice number follow the supplier’s usual pattern? Are the VAT number and company details the same as before? Mixed fonts or numbers that don’t line up can mean the PDF was edited.
- Notice the pressure. “Pay today”, “keep this confidential” and “don’t ring, I’m travelling” are there to stop you checking.
The one step that settles it
Phone the supplier on a number you already have, from an old invoice, their website or your own records, never one from the email or the invoice in front of you. Ask them to confirm the bank details. A genuine supplier will never mind you checking.
Doesn’t my bank check this?
Only partly. In Ireland and the rest of the euro area, Verification of Payee checks that the name you type matches the account, and UK banks run Confirmation of Payee. Both help, but a fraudster can open an account in a name close to your supplier’s, and neither check can tell you the email asking you to pay was fake. What the bank’s check misses.
If you’ve already paid
Ring your bank straight away and ask them to recall the payment: the first hours matter most. Then report it to the police (in Ireland, your local Garda station; in the UK, Report Fraud, or Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland), keep every email, and tell the real supplier so they can secure their mailbox.
Get a second opinion before you pay
Forward any invoice or bank-detail email to check@scam-less.com. Within a minute you’ll know whether to pay it or hold it, with the reasons in plain English. Free for 30 days, no card.
Common questions
How can I tell if an invoice is fake?
Check whether the bank details have changed since the last invoice you paid, read the sender's address carefully for look-alike spellings, see where a reply would go, and look for pressure to pay quickly or keep it quiet. Then confirm any change by phoning the supplier on a number you already have.
Is a change of bank details by email always a scam?
No, suppliers do change banks. But it's the most common way invoice fraud starts, so treat every change as unconfirmed until you've spoken to the supplier on a number you already had.
Can a fake invoice come from my supplier's real email address?
Yes. Fraudsters often break into a supplier's mailbox and reply inside a real email thread, so the address looks right. That's why phoning the supplier matters more than checking the address.