The $10,000 Email You Didn't See Coming: Invoice Redirection Fraud

This story is personal. It literally happened to my brother last week.

It's called Invoice Redirection Fraud (or Business Email Compromise), and it is the stealthiest, most devastating attack in the digital world right now. It doesn't require a "virus." It requires patience.

How The Attack Happened

The "Agents*" didn't storm the front door. They slipped in through a window weeks ago.

1. The Infiltration: Attackers compromised a supplier's email account (likely via phishing).
2. The Surveillance: They didn't steal data. They sat quietly and read the emails. They monitored ongoing conversations about payments and projects.
3. The Interception: When a real invoice was due, the criminal struck. They intercepted the legitimate email, edited the PDF invoice to swap the bank details to their own account, and forwarded it on.

Or sometimes, they send a follow-up email from a spoofed address: "Our bank details have changed, please use this account instead."

The Result: Money Gone

The victim (the company) paid a real-looking invoice for real work. They authorized the transfer.

Because the transfer was "authorized" (you typed the numbers yourself), banks treat this as a scam, not theft. It is incredibly hard to reverse.

By the time the supplier calls asking "Where is my money?", the funds have moved through three different accounts and vanished.

How to Prevent "Invoice Swap"

You need two layers of defense: Technical Hardness and Human Process.

1. Technical Hardness (What We Do)

• MFA Everywhere: Multi-Factor Authentication makes it 99% harder for attackers to break into your email to start monitoring.
• Email Authentication (DMARC/SPF): Prevents attackers from spoofing your domain to trick your clients.
• Patching: Keeping systems secure so credentials aren't stolen in the first place.

2. Human Process (What You Must Do)

• Verify by Voice: If a supplier sends new bank details via email, call them. Use a number you know, not the one in the email signature (the hacker changed that too!).
• Dual Approval: For large payments, require two people to sign off.
• Check the Domain: Is it `supplier.com` or `suppIier.com` (with a capital 'i')? The Agents* rely on you being busy and distracted.

The Simple Checklist

Before you pay any invoice today, ask:

• Has this bank account number changed?
• If yes, did I verify it over the phone?
• Does the email tone match their usual style?

The Matrix* is watching your payments. Don't let them redirect your hard-earned revenue.