How Do You Check a Payment Change Request?
Confirm new payment details using a contact you already know.
Free video lesson · 1:11
How Do You Check a Payment Change Request?
Phishing Awareness for Beginners
Music: “Thinking Music” by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Confirm new payment details using a contact you already know.
Read the video transcript
A payment change scam asks you to send money somewhere new while pretending to be someone you already pay. The amount may be correct. The danger is the destination.
Imagine a music teacher sending a bill. Then an email says their bank account has changed. If a scammer wrote that email, paying the new account sends your money to the wrong person.
The message might look polished and mention real lessons. It may even arrive from an account that was taken over. Knowing the correct details does not prove the new payment instructions are genuine.
Before changing anything, call the teacher on the number you already have. Ask them to confirm the new details. Do not call a number supplied only in the message about the change.
At work, follow the normal payment approval process too. A request to skip that process is another reason to pause. Confirm where the money is going before you send it, even when the bill looks familiar.
For another clear example, watch Can You Trust an Email Sender Name? Then try What Is Vishing?
The short answer
A payment change scam asks you to send money somewhere new while pretending to be someone you already pay. The amount may be correct. The danger is the destination.
A simple example
Imagine a music teacher sending a bill. Then an email says their bank account has changed. If a scammer wrote that email, paying the new account sends your money to the wrong person.
The message might look polished and mention real lessons. It may even arrive from an account that was taken over. Knowing the correct details does not prove the new payment instructions are genuine.
Before changing anything, call the teacher on the number you already have. Ask them to confirm the new details. Do not call a number supplied only in the message about the change.
At work, follow the normal payment approval process too. A request to skip that process is another reason to pause. Confirm where the money is going before you send it, even when the bill looks familiar.
Put it into practice
- Pause before changing saved payment details.
- Call using a number you already have, not one supplied in the change request.
- Follow the usual approval process and confirm the destination before paying.
Check your understanding
A new invoice has the correct amount but a different bank account. What should you check?
Answer
Check the payment destination with the real recipient through a trusted route. A correct amount does not authenticate the new account.
Explore next
Follow the free video course one question at a time. Teams can practise these habits through security training. For the cryptography protecting your systems, explore a cryptography audit.