What the fraud looks like
Before paying a supplier, a few simple checks catch most attempts: does the company exist, is it still active, does its VAT number match, and has the IBAN changed since the last invoice? Here is the method, step by step.
The scenario is almost always the same. Your usual supplier, Établissements du Val (a fictitious company), sends a monthly invoice of about €4,800 payable to a French account: FR76 3000 6000 0112 3456 7890 189. One morning an e-mail in the usual tone, sometimes from a nearly identical address, announces a change of bank. The next invoice arrives with another IBAN, for example LT12 1000 0111 0100 1000, a Lithuanian account. If nobody compares, the transfer leaves, and the money is moved on quickly.
The fraudster does not need to hack anything: a copied invoice template, a contact name found online and a little urgency are enough. The checks below target the points where the trick shows.
Call back on a number you already had
This is the most effective check. Call the supplier on a number you had before the message: an old purchase order, a previous invoice, a contract, your address book. Never use the number, link or reply address in the e-mail or on the new invoice.
Ask a simple question: "Have you changed bank, and which IBAN are you asking us to use?" Have them read it out and compare it with the invoice. Note the date, the person and the answer in the supplier's file. If the supplier asked for nothing, you have just avoided the fraud and reported it.
Check that the company exists and is active
With the company search, find the supplier by name or SIREN and check three points:
- the company exists and its legal name matches the invoice;
- it is still active: a closed or struck-off company that "changes its details" is a warning sign, see struck-off and closed companies;
- its address and site are the ones you know; when the record shows insolvency proceedings, talk to the supplier before any new payment.
More on this check: how to check that a company exists.
Check the VAT number
For a supplier established in the European Union, the VAT number on the invoice must be valid and belong to the same company. The VAT check tool tells you whether the number is registered and, when the company publishes them, its name and address. Compare them with the invoice.
An invalid VAT number is not always fraud, sometimes it is a typo: see what to do with an invalid VAT number. But a number that does not match the company writing to you deserves a call before any payment.
Compare the IBAN with previous invoices
Keep, in each supplier's file, the IBAN used for the last payments. For each new invoice, compare it character by character with the one on the invoice. Three signals should stop the payment:
- the IBAN has changed and you did not request or confirm it by phone;
- the country of the IBAN does not match the company: the first two characters of an IBAN are the country. A supplier whose head office and address are in France, with an IBAN starting with
LT, needs an explanation; - the account holder is not the supplier: a different name, an individual, an unrelated company.
Control table on the fictitious Établissements du Val case:
| Check | Usual invoice | Invoice received | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBAN | FR76 3000 6000 0112 3456 7890 189 | LT12 1000 0111 0100 1000 | Do not pay, call the supplier |
| IBAN country | FR, like the company | LT, the company is in France | Gap to explain |
| E-mail address | name@du-val.example | name@du-val-sa.example | Different domain, to report |
| Company and VAT | Active, valid VAT | Active, valid VAT | Consistent: the company exists, the IBAN is what is suspect |
The bank's check of the payee
Since October 2025, the bank compares the payee name you entered with the account holder of the IBAN before euro transfers. A "no match" or "close match" result is a last signal not to brush aside. This check adds to yours and does not replace them: a fraudster can open an account in the name of a company that looks like your supplier. How it works is explained in payee verification (VoP): what changes.
If the transfer has already gone to a suspicious IBAN, contact your bank without delay to ask for the funds to be recalled, then file a complaint. The faster the alert, the better the chance of recovering part of the money.
Frequently asked questions
How do I recognise bank details fraud?+
A change of IBAN announced by e-mail, a pressing tone, a sender address almost identical to the usual one, an account in a different country from the supplier. Call the supplier back on a number you already had.
Can I trust a phone number on the new invoice?+
No. Use a number from your own file that predates the message: an old contract, a previous invoice or your address book.
Is checking the VAT number enough?+
No. A fraudster can copy an exact VAT number and SIREN. Checking the company and VAT confirms that it exists, not that the announced IBAN is theirs. Only calling the supplier back confirms that.
What if I have already paid a suspicious IBAN?+
Contact your bank immediately to ask for the transfer to be recalled, warn the real supplier and file a complaint. Keep the e-mail and the invoice.
How often should IBANs be checked?+
At every IBAN change, and for each new supplier before the first payment. For the others, comparing with the previous invoice takes a few seconds.
Keep reading
- PAYMENTSVerification of Payee (VoP): what changesThe payee name checked against the IBAN holder before every transfer: the four results, the timetable and the legal name to record.
- VERIFICATIONIs this company real? Checks before signingA six-point checklist: identifier, status, name and address, VAT, signals and sanctions lists.
- STATUSStruck-off, closed or dormant French company: how to tellStruck off, closed, dormant: the definitions, why to check before invoicing and how to be alerted to a change.
- VATInvalid, unverifiable or unregistered VAT number: what to doWrong number, service unavailable or number not registered: the effect on the VAT exemption and what to do.
- VATFrench VAT number: format and how to check itThe French, Belgian and Swiss formats, the mentions on the invoice and the check before invoicing.