You paid what looked like a genuine supplier invoice, but the bank details had been changed and the money went to a scammer. This is invoice redirection, also called business email compromise (BEC). It is a sickening thing to discover, and the most important thing now is speed: the sooner your bank tries to recall the payment and asks the receiving bank to freeze it, the better the chance that any money still sitting there can be stopped. Recovering money sent to a scammer is often difficult and no one can guarantee it, but acting quickly gives you the best chance.
Your rights and the bodies that can help
You intended to pay a genuine supplier, but the funds were misdirected to an account you did not intend. You can ask the bank the payment left from to treat it as a misdirected payment for the purposes of its recovery process, to attempt an urgent recall, and to contact the receiving institution to freeze and return any funds still held. There is no automatic right to a refund in this situation, so be wary of anyone who promises one.
If your bank does not resolve the matter, you can refer the complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), the free external dispute resolution scheme for banking and payments complaints. AFCA can consider complaints from consumers and from eligible small businesses and sole traders. From 12 March 2026, AFCA’s jurisdiction expanded so it can also examine receiving banks and unauthorised “mule” accounts, even where you are not a customer of that bank.
You should also report the scam to the National Anti-Scam Centre through Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and report the cybercrime to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au, or call 1300 CYBER1 / 1300 292 371). This helps authorities disrupt the scam and refers your report to police.
What to do
- Call your bank’s official fraud line now. Use the number on the back of your card, on your statement or in your banking app, never a number from the email that carried the changed invoice. Ask them to attempt an urgent recall, to contact the receiving bank to freeze the account, and to give you a reference number.
- Put your report in writing to your bank. Follow up the call with a formal written report that sets out the invoice, the amount, the dates and the account the money actually went to, so your details and the date you raised it are on record.
- Verify the genuine supplier using contact details you source yourself. Never reply in the email thread that carried the changed invoice, and never use a phone number or email from inside it, because that channel may be the one the scammer controls. Use a number from an older invoice, the supplier’s official website typed in yourself, or a contact you already held, to confirm what happened and agree how to safely re-send any genuine payment.
- Secure your email and accounts. Change your email and account passwords, turn on multi-factor authentication, and check your mailbox for forwarding or redirect rules you did not set up, unfamiliar sign-ins, and changes to your contact details. Preserve the original emails with their full headers and both invoices as evidence; do not delete them.
- Report the scam. Report to the National Anti-Scam Centre / Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au, or 1300 CYBER1 / 1300 292 371).
- Escalate to AFCA if your bank does not resolve it. Give your bank the chance to respond first, then take the complaint to AFCA for free. From 12 March 2026 AFCA can also examine the receiving bank and the account the money went to.
Ready to put it in writing?
Answer 3 quick questions to check you have the details your document needs, and see your next step.
1. Who owes you?
2. How much?
3. Do you have it in writing?
Your result is ready. Want a copy by email? (optional)
Do it yourself, or have it drafted
You can do all of this yourself for free. The steps above are the ones that matter, and the government reporting services cost nothing. If you would rather have the paperwork done properly while you focus on the phone calls, Claim Done drafts two documents from your answers for a flat $49: a formal scam report and urgent recall request to your own bank, and a plain-English action guide that walks you through verifying the supplier, securing your email and reporting the scam. You download both and send or act on them yourself; Claim Done does not send anything for you, and takes no percentage of anything you recover. We cannot guarantee recovery.
Start your invoice redirection action pack
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my money back?
Honestly, maybe, but we cannot promise it, and recovering money sent to a scammer is often difficult. The best chance comes from acting fast: the sooner your bank tries to recall the payment and freeze the receiving account, the more likely any funds still sitting there can be stopped.
What do I do first?
Call your bank’s official fraud line now, using the number on the back of your card, on your statement or in your banking app, never a number from the email that carried the changed invoice. Ask them to attempt an urgent recall, to freeze the receiving account, and to give you a reference number.
The supplier’s email was hacked, not mine. Do I still owe them?
Possibly, yes. If the scammer received the money instead of your genuine supplier, the real invoice may still be unpaid, so you could still owe the supplier the actual debt even though you paid once. Contact the real supplier early, using contact details you source yourself, to tell them what happened and agree a way forward.
How do I check the supplier without tipping off the scammer?
Never reply in the email thread that carried the changed invoice, and never use a phone number or email from inside it, because that channel may be the one the scammer controls. Use a number from an older invoice, the supplier’s official website you type in yourself, or a contact you already held. Also secure your own email: change passwords, turn on multi-factor authentication, and check for forwarding rules or logins you did not set up.
Is this a recovery scam? How is it different?
It is not, and it is important you can tell the difference. A recovery scam contacts you out of the blue, promises to get your money back, and asks for an upfront fee or more payment or access to your accounts. Claim Done does none of that: we are a document service you chose to come to, we charge a flat $49 for preparing the two documents, we take no share of anything you recover, and we never ask for access to your accounts.
What if the bank will not help?
If your bank does not resolve it, you can take the complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) for free. AFCA helps consumers and eligible small businesses and sole traders. Contact your bank first and give it a chance to respond; if you are not satisfied, escalate to AFCA. From 12 March 2026 AFCA can also look at the receiving bank and the account the money was sent to.
What happens when you send a Invoice Redirection Pack
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Paid a Scammer's Account? Bank Recall Request + Action Guide drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Paid a Scammer's Account? Bank Recall Request + Action Guide from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $49 AUD. You read and confirm the draft, then the final PDF is emailed to you. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=invoice-redirection-scam. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Paid a Scammer's Account? Bank Recall Request + Action Guide cost, and how long does it take?
$49 AUD flat, shown before you pay, with no subscription. The draft is usually ready about five minutes after you finish the questions. It covers every Australian state and territory.
Do I need a lawyer to send a Paid a Scammer's Account? Bank Recall Request + Action Guide in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Paid a Scammer's Account? Bank Recall Request + Action Guide; many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.