Spot a fake invoice before you pay
Fake invoices rarely look fake. Usually it is the genuine invoice of a genuine supplier with only the bank details changed, or an invoice for a service that was never ordered. These signs and checks help you detect both before payment.
Five checks before every payment
Does the IBAN match the one you have paid this supplier so far? New bank details are no proof of fraud, but always a reason to ask.
Call the number you already knew, for example from the contract or master data. Not a number from the email that announced the change. How this works in detail: Bank details changed.
Is there a purchase order, an assignment or a delivery note for this invoice? Invoices for entries in directories or registers that were never ordered are a common scam.
Look at the domain after the @: a swapped letter, a different ending or an extra hyphen. A different reply-to address is another warning sign.
Name, address, invoice number and VAT ID must be correct. A VAT ID can be confirmed with the EU via VIES, and an IBAN can be checked for typos using its check digits.
How to recognise a manipulated invoice
New IBAN, known supplier
The most common manipulation: everything is correct, only the bank details are new. Often there is a cover letter saying the bank has changed or the old account has been blocked.
IBAN from another country
The supplier is based in Germany, but the IBAN starts with a different country code. There may be a harmless reason, but ask anyway.
Unusual urgency
A short payment deadline, an allegedly imminent delivery stop or a reminder without a prior invoice are meant to stop anyone from looking more closely.
Just below the approval limit
An amount just below the internal approval limit bypasses the four-eyes principle and therefore deserves a second look.
File edited afterwards
Different fonts in individual fields, shifted numbers or a PDF from a different program than this supplier's previous invoices indicate editing.
Visible and embedded data differ
In a ZUGFeRD invoice the data appears twice in the file: in the visible PDF and in the embedded XML. Anyone who edits only the PDF creates a mismatch, for example in the IBAN. The free validation compares both.
Already paid? Do this immediately
Inform your bank immediately
Call your bank right away and ask them to recall the transfer. The faster you act, the greater the chance that the money has not yet been passed on.
Report it to the police
File a report with the police; many German federal states offer an online police station for this. Your bank and insurer will need the case number.
Warn the supplier
Inform the genuine supplier through a known contact channel. Often their mailbox has been taken over and other customers are affected too.
Check your insurance
Check whether a fidelity or cyber insurance policy covers the loss, and report it to them early.
How the invoice check helps
Our invoice check takes care of steps 1, 4 and 5 for every incoming invoice: the bank details are matched against your supplier history, the VAT ID is checked live against EU VIES and the payee bank against the Bundesbank bank code directory, and for invoices received via the mailbox connection we check the sender domain. The formal validation of individual e-invoices is free without an account.
FAQ: fake invoices
How do I spot a fake invoice?
Most reliably by comparing it with what you already know: do the bank details match earlier payments, is there an order for the service, does the sender address fit? If something differs, ask through a known contact channel before you pay.
Is a changed IBAN always fraud?
No. Companies do change banks. That is why a new IBAN is not proof, but always a reason to check back using a number you already knew.
What are invoices for directory entries?
Letters that look like an invoice but charge for an entry in a business directory or register that was never ordered. The small print often says that the payment itself places the order. Without an order, you do not pay.
Can I have an invoice checked for free?
Yes. You can validate an e-invoice for free without an account: formally against EN 16931, plus the IBAN check digits and country and a comparison between the visible PDF and the embedded data. With a free account, a comparison against earlier invoices from the same supplier is added.
What do I do if I have already paid?
Call your own bank immediately and ask for the transfer to be recalled, then report it to the police and inform the genuine supplier through a known channel. Time is the most important factor here.
Further reading
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