Spot the dodgy invoice.
Fraudsters send fake invoices hoping someone pays without looking. Six things on this one should stop you in your tracks. Click every red flag you can find before you’d approve it — watch out, some perfectly normal bits are there to catch you out.
Red flags found 0 / 6 — click anything that looks off
Kent Plumb Supplies Unit 4, Riverside Estate, Faversham
· 01795 000000
· 01795 000000
Bill to
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| £450.00 | |
| Push-fit fittings (assorted) | £180.00 |
| £1,200.00 |
Subtotal£1,830.00
VAT @ 20%
Total due£2,250.00
Payment
- Free email address. A real supplier uses a company email domain, not a free Gmail account. A classic sign of a faked invoice.
- Vague line item. “Sundry works, as discussed” — no detail, a big round number. Always query undocumented charges.
- The maths is wrong. VAT at 20% of £1,830 should be £366, not £420. If the numbers don’t add up, don’t pay.
- No VAT number. They’re charging VAT but show no VAT registration number — if you charge VAT, you must display one.
- “Bank details changed.” The number-one invoice scam. Always verify a bank change by phoning the supplier on a number you already trust — never the one on the invoice.
- Urgency & pressure. “Pay within 24 hours” is designed to stop you checking. Genuine suppliers give normal payment terms.
Spotted them all?
Find all six red flags (or reveal the rest), then mark this complete. In a real finance team, catching one of these can save the company thousands — and the instinct to stop and check is the whole point.
Find the red flags to unlock. Done — you’re good to go.