Verify bank-detail changes before payment

Treat changed payment details as a separate decision

A familiar invoice can still contain changed bank details. Australian cyber security guidance recommends a clear business process for checking payment requests and treating an unexpected account change as a warning sign.

The safest response is a pause, not a guess. Do not approve the change from the email alone, even when the message looks familiar or sits inside an existing conversation.

Verify through a contact path you already trust

Call the supplier using a known number from your existing records or their official website. Do not use a phone number supplied only in the message that announced the change.

Ask the supplier to confirm the account change, the invoice reference, and the person who requested it. Record who checked the request, when it was confirmed, and what contact method was used.

Give staff and customers a visible rule

Write one short rule for invoices and payment pages: bank-detail changes are independently confirmed before payment. Add the correct contact path and explain that urgent requests do not bypass the check.

Keep the wording factual. A verification note cannot guarantee that fraud will never happen, but it can make the expected process clearer before pressure arrives.

Use tools as support, not payment approval

MDP Studio's public invoice-fraud project shows the same boundary: software can organise warning signs and verification steps, while a person-controlled finance process decides whether payment continues.

For this month's website care, check your invoice instructions, contact page, and payment notices. Make sure customers and staff can find a trusted verification route without relying on the suspicious message itself.