Payment Diversion Fraud - What you should know

Payment Diversion Fraud (PDF) involved criminals impersonating others, creating or amending invoices and diverting payments to bank accounts under their own control. This kind of fraud can target both businesses and individuals. 

Due to the targeted nature of this fraud type, small and medium sized businesses are particularly vulnerable. In addition, individuals that are purchasing houses and are involved in large financial transactions can be at risk. 

Signs of Payment Diversion Fraud: 

• Have you been asked to urgently process a payment that is large or unusual? 
• Have you been asked to change the bank details of an existing supplier or to set up a new supplier? 
• Is the language used in the email inconsistent with that of the genuine sender? 
• Does the body of the email or email address contain spelling mistakes?

If you have any doubt about a transaction, then do not transfer money. 

Protect yourself by double-checking the payment request via an additional method using details from another source (such as text message, a phone call or in-person).

If you think you may have already been a victim of PDF, immediately reporting the incident to your bank and Action Fraud (0300 1234 2040 or www.actionfraud.police.uk) gives you the best chance of recovering your funds.