A new bank account needs a phone call

An invoice arrives from a supplier you know. The work looks right, but the payment instructions have changed. Pause there. A familiar email thread does not prove the new bank details came from the supplier.

Call a contact using a number already in your records, not the number in the message announcing the change. Confirm the request and follow your normal approval process before updating payment details. Make this a standing rule so nobody has to decide whether today’s email looks suspicious enough.

For a small team, write down who verifies the change and who releases the payment. If one person does both, still record the independent callback. Urgency, a senior person’s name, or a looming due date should not bypass the check.

If money has already gone to an account you suspect is fraudulent, contact your financial institution immediately and report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. A short verification call before payment is easier to fit into the day than trying to recover a transfer afterward.