Fraud Awareness

Because we're a financial company, criminals target us with money scams — fake invoices, urgent payment requests, changed bank details, and bosses who "need a transfer right now". These frauds work by creating pressure and impersonating someone you trust. The defence is simple and absolute: verify any payment or bank-detail change independently, before money moves.

Fraud aimed at businesses is big, professional, and convincing. The common types: invoice fraud (a real-looking invoice with the criminal's bank details), CEO/executive fraud (a message from the "CEO" demanding an urgent, secret payment), bank-detail changes (a supplier emails new payment details that are really the fraudster's), and gift-card scams. They lean on urgency, authority, and secrecy so you act before you check.

This overlaps with phishing and social engineering, but the stakes are money leaving the company. The one habit that stops almost all of it: never act on a payment instruction or bank-detail change from a message alone — confirm it through a separate, trusted channel first.

Verify before money moves

• AlwaysIndependently verify any request to make a payment, change bank/payment details, or release funds — call the person or supplier on a known, trusted number (not one from the message) before acting.
• DoTreat urgency, secrecy ("don't tell anyone"), and authority ("this is the CEO") as warning signs, not reasons to skip checks.
• DoBe extra careful with changed supplier bank details — a classic fraud — and confirm them with a known contact at the supplier, not the email that requested the change.
• DoFollow the proper authorisation process for payments every time, even when someone senior seems to be asking you to bypass it.

Don't get rushed

• DoSlow down — fraudsters engineer time pressure precisely so you won't verify. It's always okay to pause and check.
• DoReport suspected fraud immediately to finance/security, even if money has already moved — speed can sometimes recover funds (see Report It).
• NeverMake a payment, change payment details, or buy gift cards based on an email, text, or call alone, without independent verification.
• NeverBypass the normal payment-authorisation process because a request is urgent or appears to come from someone senior.

Watch out for

• AskAm I being pressured to pay or change details quickly, quietly, or outside the normal process?
• AskHave I verified this through a channel I trust — not the contact details in the message?
• AskIs this a 'supplier' telling me their bank details have changed? (Confirm with a known contact.)
• AskWould I be comfortable explaining later why I sent this money without checking?