---
title: "What is a vendor bank change request scam?"
description: "How the vendor bank change request scam works, why it succeeds, warning signs and the controls that stop it."
url: https://realpayee.com/answers/what-is-a-vendor-bank-change-request-scam
canonical: https://realpayee.com/answers/what-is-a-vendor-bank-change-request-scam
date_published: 2026-10-05
date_modified: 2026-10-05
author: RealPayee
---

# What is a vendor bank change request scam?

> A vendor bank change request scam is when a fraudster pretends to be one of your real suppliers and asks you to update its bank details, so your next payments go to an account the fraudster controls. The request usually arrives by email from a lookalike or hacked vendor mailbox, often on a real invoice thread, and the loss is found weeks later when the vendor chases payment.

It is a form of business email compromise. The fix is to verify every bank-detail change with the vendor's known contact on a separate channel before saving it.

_Published 2026-10-05 · Updated 2026-10-05 · By RealPayee_

## How the scam works

1. The attacker learns who your suppliers are, often by compromising a vendor mailbox or reading public information.
2. They email AP from the real (hacked) or a lookalike vendor address, asking to update bank details, often with a letter on letterhead.
3. AP updates the vendor master file and the next payment run sends money to the new account.
4. The real vendor chases the unpaid invoice weeks later, by which time the money has usually moved on.

## Warning signs

- A change request that arrives just before a large invoice is due.
- A reason such as "audit", "new bank" or "account under review" with pressure to act now.
- Small differences in the sender domain, or a reply-to address that does not match.
- A request not to call, or a phone number that only appears in the email.

More examples are in [business email compromise examples](https://realpayee.com/blog/business-email-compromise-examples) and the [vendor fraud guide](https://realpayee.com/vendor-fraud).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is this the same as invoice fraud?

It overlaps. Invoice fraud can also mean fake invoices for goods never delivered. The bank change scam uses a real relationship and redirects real payments.

### How common is it?

In the AFP 2025 survey, 45% of organizations cited vendor imposter fraud in 2024, and third-party impersonation was the most common type of BEC at 63%.

## Sources

- [AFP: 2025 Payments Fraud and Control Survey press release](https://www.financialprofessionals.org/about/learn-more/press-releases/Details/survey-79-percent-of-organizations-were-victims-of-attempted-or-actual-payments-fraud-activity-in-2024)

## Related

- [Vendor fraud: types, examples and how to prevent it](https://realpayee.com/vendor-fraud) - What vendor fraud is, the most common schemes (vendor impersonation, fake bank changes, fake invoices) and the controls that stop them. (markdown: https://realpayee.com/vendor-fraud.md)
- [How do I verify a vendor bank account change?](https://realpayee.com/answers/how-to-verify-a-vendor-bank-account-change) - A step-by-step way to verify a vendor bank account change before you pay: freeze the change, confirm out-of-band with a known contact, check the account, get a second approval and keep a record. (markdown: https://realpayee.com/answers/how-to-verify-a-vendor-bank-account-change.md)
- [Business email compromise examples and how to stop them](https://realpayee.com/blog/business-email-compromise-examples) - Seven business email compromise (BEC) examples finance teams see, the red flags in each, and the specific control that stops it before money moves. (markdown: https://realpayee.com/blog/business-email-compromise-examples.md)
- [Vendor impersonation fraud](https://realpayee.com/glossary/vendor-impersonation) - Vendor impersonation fraud is when a criminal poses as a real supplier - usually by compromised or lookalike email - to redirect its payments to a new... (markdown: https://realpayee.com/glossary/vendor-impersonation.md)

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