• The process of changing the bank details of someone you are paying should always be treated with extreme caution. 

• If a contact advises you of new bank details do not make any payment without first contacting them to check and verify those details.   

• If checking details call on a trusted number, if possible speak someone you know and ask whatever additional security questions necessary to reconfirm their identity.   

• Fraudsters often imitate email addresses to make them appear to be from a genuine contact, including someone from your own organisation. 

• Fraudulent letters and emails sent to companies are often well-written, meaning the fraud is difficult to spot. Email addresses are easy to spoof, or in the case of malware-infected PCs, criminals can access genuine email addresses. 

• Fraudsters will pressure you into making mistakes, typically exploiting situations when payment is overdue – take the pressure off by taking control of the situation. 

• Look carefully at every invoice and compare it to previous ones received that you know to be genuine – particularly the bank account details, wording used and the company logo. When making a payment, ensure your invoices quote the full legal or ‘trading as’ name. 

• Apply the same principles to requests from within your own organisation. 

• If working remotely, ensure you and your colleagues remain vigilant and adhere to all relevant checks and processes. 

• Funds are often quickly transferred so recovering money from fraudulent accounts can be extremely difficult If you have paid the invoice, contact your bank immediately. The quicker you alert your bank, the greater the chance of recovering the funds. 

• Report it to Action Fraud, the police’s national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre, even if you’ve not suffered any financial loss. www.actionfraud.police.uk