Guide

# Vendor Says Their Bank Details Changed? How to Stop Fake Invoice Scams

An email from a “vendor” asks you to pay a new bank account. It is one of the most expensive scams small businesses face. Here is how to spot it, stop it and protect your email.

By the Wisconsin Tech Shop team · Updated October 31, 2026

**Short answer:** Never change payment details because of an email alone. Call the vendor at a phone number you already had, not one in the email, and confirm. If money already went out, call your bank immediately to try to recall it, then secure your email accounts.

## How the scam works

Criminals break into a vendor’s email or yours, or register a look-alike address, then read real conversations. At the right moment they send a convincing invoice or “updated banking details.” This is called business email compromise, and it is one of the costliest crimes reported to the FBI.

## Red flags

- New bank details, especially “temporary” or overseas accounts.
- Urgency or secrecy: “pay today,” “I’m in meetings, don’t call.”
- A sender address that is one letter off.
- Replies that go to a different address than the one you wrote to.

## If you already paid

- Call your bank’s fraud line right away and ask for a recall.
- File a report at ic3.gov.
- Reset passwords and turn on two-step verification for every email account.
- Check email rules and forwarding for anything you didn’t set up.

## Prevent it

- A written rule: payment changes are confirmed by phone, using a known number.
- Two-step verification on every email account.
- Email security that flags look-alike domains and outside senders.
- Short, regular staff training on the warning signs.

We lock this down for small businesses: see [business email compromise protection](https://wisconsintechshop.com/cybersecurity/business-email-compromise/) and [two-step verification rollout](https://wisconsintechshop.com/cybersecurity/mfa-rollout/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can the bank get the money back?

Sometimes, if you act within hours. The faster you call your bank, the better the odds of recalling the payment.

### Is this only a big-company problem?

No. Small businesses are frequent targets because they often lack verification steps and security tools.

## Related services

- [Hacked Email & Wire Fraud Help](https://wisconsintechshop.com/cybersecurity/business-email-compromise/): When criminals get into an email account, they hide forwarding rules and send fake invoices. We lock them out, clean up and help stop the money. (From $300)
- [Email Security: Phishing Filters, SPF, DKIM & DMARC](https://wisconsintechshop.com/cybersecurity/email-security/): Most attacks start with an email. We filter phishing, stop criminals from spoofing your domain and protect the inboxes that handle money. (From $250)
- [Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Rollout](https://wisconsintechshop.com/cybersecurity/mfa-rollout/): The single best defense against stolen passwords: multi-factor sign-in on email, banking, remote access and key apps, rolled out without chaos. (From $250)
- [Security Awareness & Phishing Training](https://wisconsintechshop.com/cybersecurity/security-awareness-training/): Short, practical training that teaches your team to spot phishing, fake invoices and scam calls, with safe practice emails to keep skills sharp. (From $300)

## Related quick fixes

- [Someone Is Sending Emails Pretending to Be You](https://wisconsintechshop.com/fix/someone-spoofing-my-email-domain/)
- [Clicked a Phishing Link or Entered Your Password](https://wisconsintechshop.com/fix/clicked-phishing-link/)

[All tech fixes](https://wisconsintechshop.com/fix/)

## Tell us what you need

Get a free, no-pressure quote from a Wisconsin development team. Tell us a little about your business and we'll reply within one business day with next steps, rough pricing and honest advice.

- Big projects and small ones are all welcome
- Fixed-price quotes, no surprise invoices
- You own your code, data and accounts
- A client portal to track progress, invoices and payments
- Rooted in Wisconsin, serving businesses nationwide

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Source: https://wisconsintechshop.com/guides/vendor-bank-details-changed-scam/
Contact: hello@wisconsintechshop.com · https://wisconsintechshop.com/contact/