Situation — Attack, leak or dispute

A regular supplier emailed us new bank details: we paid their invoices, and the money went to a fraudster. The real supplier is still asking us to pay.

Context

Your long-standing supplier writes to you: they are changing banks, here are their new bank details. The message comes from their usual address. You pay.

A few weeks later, they chase you: the invoice is unpaid. The money went to a fraudster.

The problem

  • Paying a fraudster does not clear your debt: the real supplier can still claim the invoice.
  • The sooner your bank is alerted, the better your chances of limiting the loss.
  • You need to know where the fake message came from: your side, your supplier's side, or a lookalike address.

Case study

Real-life caseAugust 2024

Anonymous company, fake change of a supplier's bank details

In late August 2024, an employee at a company received a message that seemed to come from a real supplier's address. It announced a change of bank details, with a corrected invoice attached.

The reason given: "due to an internal audit, we cannot receive payments on our old account". The payment was over 50,000 euros. The company soon realised it was a fraud and alerted its bank: the loss was limited.

In another case, dating back to 2018, an invoice for 103,375 euros was paid using fake bank details sent from an address that differed from the real one by a single letter.

On 17 June 2026, France's Court of Cassation ruled that paying the fraudster does not discharge the buyer's debt: the real supplier can claim payment again (Selectra (opens in a new tab)).

Read the sourceIdentity theft and genuine invoices: bank detail fraud, 2025 version — La Banque Postale (opens in a new tab)

Why us?

  • We establish where the fake bank details came from: a hacked mailbox at your end or your supplier's, or a lookalike address.
  • We keep the evidence for your bank, your insurer and your lawyer.
  • We set up a simple rule to check every change of bank details before paying.
  • Free 30-minute video call, with no commitment, in French or English.

Contact us

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