NatWest Bank and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) have launched a joint awareness campaign to highlight the risk of invoice fraud, a cybercrime which costs businesses millions a year.
It happens when fraudsters trick individuals or businesses into paying fake invoices or use social engineering to redirect genuine payments into their own accounts.
Invoice and business email compromise (BEC) fraudsters impersonate suppliers, intercept emails or send convincing invoices demanding urgent payments into accounts they control. The aim is to manipulate victims into transferring funds to the fraudsters instead of their legitimate destination.
Often, by the time the victim has realized what has happened, it’s too late and the money is gone.
According to Action Fraud, in September 2025 alone, the 83 reported victims of invoice fraud cost an average of £47,000 ($65,000) each, with the combined total amounting to almost £4m ($5.5m).
“Invoice fraud is one of the highest harm types of fraud experienced by victims and it has a huge impact on those who become a victim. Businesses can be destroyed by a loss of cashflow from a fraudulent payment, families and livelihoods are at serious risk of collapse if fraudsters are successful,” said Nick Sharp, deputy director fraud at the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) in the NCA.
“By providing the correct information to those in a position to thwart the fraudsters’ efforts, we can stop the worst examples of invoice fraud in their tracks.”
The campaign offers guidance for both individuals and businesses on how to identify invoice fraud. This includes:
- Check for any changes to invoice details, bank details or if you are being pressed for an urgent payment.
- Verify by calling the genuine supplier on a previously used phone number before you transfer money, as emails can be intercepted or diverted.
- Never transfer money until you are satisfied the details are correct.
“Criminals are undertaking increasingly sophisticated methods to commit fraud, often targeting the Accounts Payable and Finance departments of small sole‑traders and multi‑national corporations,” said Avani Patel, head of commercial & institutional fraud at NatWest Group
“This joint campaign with the NCA will equip businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to protect themselves against devastating invoice fraud attacks. We are urging all businesses to adopt a ‘Check, Verify, Never’ mindset – checking for any changes to payment details, independently verifying those changes with trusted contacts, and never transferring money until fully satisfied,” she added.
