Check your bill: do not fall for invoice fraud

A 2023 survey by credit insurer Allianz Trade (in Dutch) found that 45% of the 355 organisations that responded were victims of invoice fraud. That put this form of scam at number 1 for fraud carried out by external parties. There is no guarantee you will get your money back if you mistakenly pay a fake invoice. And sometimes you have double bad luck. Because if you did order something and paid a fake invoice for it, then you still must pay the real bill.

What is invoice fraud?

With invoice fraud, criminals send you a fake invoice, a bill that is not real. For example, in the name of a supplier you regularly do business with. They hope this means you will not notice that the invoice is fake. And so, you just pay it. Your money then goes not to your supplier but to the  scammers.

Recognise fake invoices

These tips will help you recognise a fake invoice and prevent invoice fraud:

• Check which product or service is on the invoice. Did you really order this from this supplier? Also compare the invoice or order number with your own records.
• Check the sender with your own records. Especially check if the bank account number is correct.
• Ignore an urgent or threatening tone in the invoice. Scammers often use this trick to get you to pay quickly.
• Read the small print and check that the invoice is not, in fact, an offer.
• Do you not trust it? Then contact the sender. But do so through the contact details in your own records. And not through the contact details in the invoice.
• Keep an eye on the Fraud Helpdesk's warning list (in Dutch). This includes fake invoices but also phishing messages that are now circulating.
• Did you receive an invoice from KVK? Then always check whether it really comes from KVK, or whether it is a fake invoice.

Tricks to watch out for

Scammers use different tricks to fool you.

Fake invoice

Criminals fake an invoice from one of your suppliers and send it to you. You order there regularly, so you will not spot a fake invoice so easily. All the information on the fake invoice is correct, except for the bank account number. That number does not belong to your supplier, but to the criminals.

Crooks make a fake invoice by, for example, stealing the mail to you with the real invoice. They only change the bank account number to their own. Or they break into your supplier's computer. They then send the fake invoice via that computer.

Phantom invoice

Crooks also send ghost invoices. These are fake invoices for something you did not order at all. The invoice seems reliable because it is in the name of a well-known online store, for example. The amounts involved are often small. Companies send you phantom invoices like this in the hopes that you will not pay attention and just go ahead and pay the bill.

Sneaky offer

A fake invoice is sometimes also an offer. You only see this when you read the small print. If you pay the fake invoice, you not only lose your money, but you also enter into an unwanted agreement with the provider. And you are stuck with a subscription, for example.

Fake invoice paid, now what?

Did you accidentally pay a fake invoice? Then take these steps:

1. Report it to the police. Invoice fraud is punishable. With your report, the police can better investigate who the scammers are.
2. Contact your bank and try to get your money back. This is not easy because often your money disappears to a foreign account. Your bank may be able to reverse the fake payment. If that is not possible and your payment went to a Dutch bank account,  ask your bank for the scammer's name and address details (in Dutch). You will need these along with your report to the police to tray and claim your money back from the criminal through the courts.
3. Report it to the Fraud Helpdesk. Their staff will refer you to organisations that can help you further. And they can also give you tips on possible compensation for your financial loss.