Fake invoice scam training for the people who pay the bills.
Invoice fraud hides inside routine work. A bill that looks like last month's, or a vendor asking to change bank details, can pass quickly unless the team has a habit of verifying first.
How fake invoice scams work
In a fake invoice scam, an attacker sends a bill for something that was never ordered, or sends a real-looking invoice with changed payment details. Sometimes the attacker has broken into a vendor's mailbox, so the message arrives from a genuine address inside a genuine thread.
These scams work because accounts payable is a high-volume, deadline-driven job. A familiar logo, a plausible amount, and a polite note about new bank details look like ordinary paperwork. The attack succeeds when a payment is approved on the strength of the document alone.
Warning signs of a fake invoice
Any of these is a reason to pause the payment and check, even when the invoice looks familiar.
- Changed bank detailsA vendor asks to update the account number or routing details, especially by email and close to a payment date.
- An invoice for something nobody orderedNo purchase order, no matching delivery, or a vendor the team does not recognize.
- Pressure to pay quicklyLate fees, service cutoffs, or a request to skip the usual approval to avoid delay.
- Small differences in the sender or the documentA slightly different domain, a changed logo or layout, or a reply to an old thread from an address that no longer matches.
- A request to keep the change quietInstructions not to call, not to involve a manager, or to treat the change as confidential.
What to do before you pay an unfamiliar invoice
The goal is to make the payment wait until someone has confirmed it through a second source.
- Hold the paymentDo not pay or change vendor records until the request is verified.
- Match it to a purchase orderConfirm the goods or services were ordered and received.
- Verify with the vendorCall a phone number you already have on file, not one from the invoice or the email.
- Use a second approverA second person reviewing bank detail changes catches what one person misses.
- Report suspected fraudIf a payment was already sent, contact your bank immediately and tell your security contact.
Fake invoice scam training that fits accounts payable
These AwarenessCORE modules are self-paced and each ends with a graded assessment.
A dedicated module on this topic is coming soon. See the Coming soon card.
Questions about fake invoice scam training
What is a fake invoice scam?
A fake invoice scam tricks a business into paying a bill that is not legitimate. The invoice may be for goods never ordered, or it may be a copy of a real invoice with the payment details changed.
How do attackers change vendor bank details?
They may send an email that looks like it comes from the vendor, sometimes from a hacked vendor mailbox, asking to update the account used for payments. The request often arrives near a payment date and includes a short note or a new form.
How can accounts payable verify an invoice?
Match it to a purchase order, then confirm any bank detail change with the vendor by phone using a number you already have on file. A second approver for changes to payment details adds another safeguard.
What if we already paid a fake invoice?
Contact your bank immediately and ask about recalling the payment, then notify your security contact and, where appropriate, law enforcement. Speed matters, although recovery is never guaranteed.
Is training enough to stop invoice fraud?
Training helps people recognize the pattern, but it works best with controls such as purchase order matching, callback verification, and dual approval. No training guarantees that every attempt is caught.
Know the signs beyond fake invoice scams
A quick reference: the first warning sign from each of the ten threat pages. Each chip opens the full list and what to do.
Make verification the default for every invoice
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What every module includes
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