Invoice fraud is a growing concern for hospitality venues—pubs, clubs and restaurants—where scammers impersonate trusted suppliers to redirect payments into bogus accounts. Quantaco combats this risk by independently verifying any bank-detail changes for existing suppliers before processing payments, while advising extra caution with new suppliers whose details we can’t yet vouch for. This post outlines how these scams work, the simple checks we perform, and what your team can do to stay secure.
Why Invoice Fraud Targets Hospitality
Scammers send invoices that appear to come from your regular beverage distributors, food suppliers or maintenance contractors—but with altered BSB and account numbers. When you pay, the money lands in a fraudster’s account, not your genuine supplier’s Australian Taxation Office. In 2023–24, Australians lost $16.2 million to payment-redirection scams, with many victims reporting near-perfect copies of legitimate invoices.
Hospitality‑Specific Example
Draught Beer Delivery Mix‑Up: A city pub paid $8,000 for keg deliveries after receiving an invoice that perfectly mimicked their brewery’s branding but redirected funds to a scammer’s BSB and account number.
How Scammers Operate
- Impersonation
They hack or spoof an email address—sometimes changing just one character—to send a fake invoice that mimics your supplier’s logo, ABN and tone. - Altered Payment Details
The invoice includes new bank details, often presented as “urgent” or “one-off” changes to lull you into paying quickly. - Delayed Discovery
You only realise when the real supplier chases payment, by which time the funds are usually unrecoverable.
Quantaco’s Independent Verification
To defend your cashflow, Quantaco undertakes a two-step verification for existing suppliers:
- Phone Confirmation
If an invoice arrives with updated bank details, we call the supplier on a number we already have on file—not the one in the invoice—to confirm the change. - Documented Sign-Off
We log every confirmation—who we spoke to, when, and the exact wording of the new BSB/account—to maintain a tamper-proof audit trail.
Note: For new suppliers, initial bank-detail checks rely on the information provided. We recommend you set up your own phone or video-call verification before authorising large payments to any new vendor.
Best Practices for Your Venue
- Always Call
Never rely solely on email. Verify any changes in person or by phone using previously known contact details. - Dual Approval
Require two staff members to sign off on any invoice above a set threshold—especially if payment details have changed. - Staff Training
Run regular briefings on how to spot subtle invoice alterations and phishing attempts.
Take Action
Partner with Quantaco to strengthen your payment processes:
- Engage Our Team for a walkthrough of our verification workflow.
- Train Your Staff with our tailored fraud-awareness sessions.
Protect your venue’s bottom line and reputation. Contact us today at 1800 940 952 or [email protected] to arrange a demo and learn more about our secure invoice-management services.
