My Chinese supplier says they changed bank account. What should I do?

Why this happens

Criminals break into, or copy, the email of a real supplier. They wait until an invoice is due, then send a normal-looking message: same signature, same order number, "our bank account has changed because of an audit / tax / new branch". The money goes to them, and the real supplier never receives it.

The FBI calls this business email compromise (FBI IC3 public alert, 11 Sep 2024). UK police call it mandate fraud (Report Fraud).

Before you pay: 5 checks

1. Call, don't reply. Use a number you verified earlier, not one in the new message. A video call alone is not enough: calls and faces can be faked. The FBI advises using a separate channel to verify any change of account details.
2. Look at the sender address closely, especially on your phone. One changed letter or an extra word is common.
3. Who is the payee? Prefer paying the company you signed the contract with. If a different payee is proposed (for example an export agent or a related company), stop and independently verify the relationship and the written authority before you agree. A different name is not automatically fraud, but it must be checked.
4. A stamped letter is only extra support. It does not prove the letter is genuine or that the account belongs to the supplier.
5. A small test payment only helps after you have confirmed the real supplier and their authority over the account. Then have them confirm receipt through your earlier trusted channel. A fraudster can also receive a test payment, so "it arrived" proves nothing on its own.

If you already paid

1. Contact your bank immediately and ask them to recall the transfer.
2. Report it:

- US: ic3.gov. - UK: Report Fraud (choose the service for where you live). - Other countries: your national police fraud unit.

1. Tell the real supplier through a contact you trust, so they can check whether their email was hacked.
2. Keep everything: emails with full headers, chat screenshots, invoices, bank receipts.

A report or a recall request does not guarantee you get the money back.

Warning signs

• Urgency: "pay today or we cannot ship".
• A reason you can't check: "tax audit", "account frozen", "new branch".
• The new account is in a different name or country from what you agreed.
• They avoid a call on the number you already had.

Still uncertain

• Reporting channels for countries other than the US and UK are not listed here yet.
• Whether a Chinese bank can freeze funds after a foreign police report depends on the case; we have no official source on timing.