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Invoice Invasion: Defending the Finance Department From Hidden Fraud Risks | PYMNTS.com

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Invoice Invasion: Defending the Finance Department From Hidden Fraud Risks | PYMNTS.com

Businesses can’t grow without getting paid, and businesses won’t get paid without an invoice.

But fraudsters have taken notice, capitalizing on the fact that the invoice, whether it’s digital or paper, represents one of a company’s most attractive attack surfaces.

Against this backdrop, invoice fraud is a rapidly growing threat, with cybercriminals and internal fraudsters increasingly finding ways to manipulate the payment process for illicit gain.

Invoice and vendor fraud can take many forms, from fake invoices sent by external cybercriminals to fraudulent activities carried out by employees with access to internal systems.

And as the contemporary threat landscape digitizes, with businesses becoming more reliant on digital transactions, the risk continues to rise, especially for companies with outdated systems or weak internal controls.

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Cybercriminals have become adept at exploiting weaknesses in digital payment systems. Invoice fraud often starts with a phishing attack or a compromised email account. In these cases, attackers will intercept or spoof communications between businesses, posing as a legitimate vendor or supplier. They then send altered invoices or payment instructions, redirecting funds to fraudulent accounts.

For many B2B companies, these vulnerabilities have become a significant source of financial and operational risk.

Read more: Why Business Email Compromise Scams Target Valuable B2B Relationships

Outdated Systems and Weak Internal Controls: A Recipe for Disaster

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Automating Accounts Payable for Cost Savings” found that 34% of businesses process more than 5,000 invoices per month. At the same time, separate PYMNTS Intelligence in the report “Getting Paid: Digital Payments for Improving Cash Flow and Customer Experience” found that 75% of companies still use paper checks.

Those two statistics underscore a growing gap in the payments industry: the disconnect between accounts payable (AP) workflows and payments, which can leave businesses vulnerable to inefficiencies and fraud.

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That’s because manual and paper-based processes expose companies to risks such as invoice duplication, payment fraud and vendor impersonation. Paper-based systems also make it difficult to implement stringent security controls, while fragmented tech stacks may not offer effective safeguards.

Fraudsters “will call your back-office staff who are not trained in payments fraud prevention and try to communicate false information over the phone. And these staffers, they are great, smart, hardworking people, but they do not have the tools and that is why the fraudsters are attacking them,” Ernest Rolfson, founder and CEO of Finexio, told PYMNTS in an interview posted in July.

“Fraud is the biggest and most important thing we hear from customers today in B2B payments … They want more automation, as much as possible, and they want no fraud,” Rolfson added.

Read also: Unlocking the 3 Biggest Benefits of Automating Accounts Payable

Strategies for Prevention and Risk Mitigation

Data shows the average enterprise receives half of its invoices on paper, with nearly four in 10 (38%) of payments being made manually. Against this backdrop, over a third of firms (36%) cite automating their AP function as a key priority.

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Companies that rely on manual processes and systems that are prone to human error and offer limited visibility into transactions can find that they’ve inadvertently made it easier for both external and internal fraudsters to exploit them.

“The inflexibility of traditional systems and platforms have prevented lots of companies from moving forward and keeping up,” Boost Payment Solutions Chief Operating Officer Illya Shell told PYMNTS.

Many businesses, especially small- to medium-sized businesses, also operate with limited financial oversight, allowing fraudulent invoices to slip through the cracks.

But advances in digital payments technology, including automated invoicing and payment platforms with built-in fraud detection capabilities, can help reduce the risk of human error and flag suspicious transactions in real time. These systems offer greater visibility into the payment process and can quickly identify anomalies, such as changes to bank account details or unusual payment requests.

Ultimately, the human layer of defense, as emphasized by many of the risk management leaders PYMNTS has spoken to, is increasingly critical in shrinking enterprise attack surfaces — making individual education around best practices crucial for a company’s own employees.

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Developing strong relationships with trusted vendors and suppliers can also help reduce the risk of fraudulent invoices. Businesses should verify vendor details before making payments and regularly review supplier contracts to ensure that services are being rendered as agreed.

Looking ahead, as businesses invest in advanced technologies, strengthen internal policies and educate their employees on fraud risks, the future intersection of both payments automation and fraud prevention looks bright.

“There are a lot of changes happening across a lot of outdated or antiquated industries. We’re in a good space right now to see a lot of change,” Priority Head of Commercial Court Toomey told PYMNTS. “It’s ironic that one of the areas for most companies that is the most outdated are their financial tools, when just a small investment from that same team can go a long way in improving efficiency and also cost savings.”

Finance

Southport takes ‘each day at a time’ as state investigation continues

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Southport takes ‘each day at a time’ as state investigation continues

Southport communities and families continue to seek for recreational activities as state investigators keep probing into the city parks and recreation department.

It’s been more than two weeks since the State Bureau of Investigation began its investigation into Southport’s Parks and Recreation Department and the city remains unsure as to what will happen after the investigation.

Southport Police Chief Todd Coring on March 11 requested the State Bureau of Investigation to assist with investigating a financial discrepancy within the city, SBI Public Information Director Chad Flowers said.

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At 4:45 p.m. on March 11, the city of Southport published a news release announcing four unnamed employees from its parks and recreation department were placed on paid administrative leave due to an “appearance of financial irregularities.” The announcement also stated parks and recreation programs and facilities were on shutdown.

The “appearance” of financial irregularities was discovered after a forensic accounting investigation, according to the release.

Though approximately 13 children participated in the parks and recreation programs, Public Information Officer ChyAnn Ketchum said, the community used the facilities for events, activities, sports and classes.

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Asked how often the facilities were used by the community, Ketchum was unable to provide a response.

“We are still working on gathering data, so I am not able to provide even an estimate right now,” Ketchum said.

What has happened since the shutdown?

Program Director Maureen “Cookie” Moore resigned March 12, Ketchum confirmed.

The city’s parks and recreation before and after-school programs have been suspended indefinitely and all parks and recreation facilities and buildings remain closed, and events cancelled until further notice.

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The city’s community relations department has tried to help by temporarily taking over reservations of the Jaycee Building to honor existing reservations and hosting an Easter egg hunt.

Since the parks and recreation department matter has been turned to the SBI for further review, agents with the SBI’s coastal division are actively working to handle the case, Flowers previously told the StarNews.

What’s next for the case and the city of Southport?

The case remains ongoing and active, Flowers said. No new information is being released at this time.

“Financial crimes cases normally take longer due to the number of documents and records involved,” Flowers said.

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When it comes to how the city will move forward after the investigation closes, Ketchum is unsure.

“Because it is still an active investigation, we have to take each day at a time,” Ketchum said.

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the area’s latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at stenenoff@usatodayco.com.

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State to appoint fiscal monitor over NOLA-PS, citing ‘significant’ financial management issues

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State to appoint fiscal monitor over NOLA-PS, citing ‘significant’ financial management issues

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana’s Department of Education has informed the Orleans Parish public school district that it will install a monitor to oversee its financial management, citing a pattern of “significant deficiencies” over the past two years.

State superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley delivered the news in a letter sent Friday (March 27) to NOLA-PS superintendent Dr. Fateama Fulmore.

“Due to repeated accounting miscalculations within the Orleans Parish School System (NOLA-PS), schools have faced multiple years of financial uncertainty,” Brumley wrote. “This letter serves as formal notice that, as a result of these errors, the Louisiana Department of Education will appoint a fiscal risk monitor for your school system.

“The purpose of this appointment is to provide enhanced oversight of tax revenue accounting and reporting by NOLA-PS. This will include special engagement conducted by an independent certified public accountant over the next year.”

NOLA-PS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox 8.

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Brumley cited a list of alleged “deficiencies” by the New Orleans school district, including:

  • Failure to adhere to fundamental accounting principles
  • Classification in the LDOE Fiscal Risk Assessment “Monitor” category, reflecting a high level of concern, including designation under a Critical Situation during the fiscal year
  • Negative impacts on budgeting decisions for school systems across the state
  • Provision of inaccurate financial information to NOLA-PS schools
  • Potential violation of state law due to failure to provide accurate financial data to LDOE

The appointed monitor will be tasked with reviewing the financial practices of the district, ensuring it takes corrective measures, and reporting back to the LDOE about changes made and ongoing risks. It is believed to be the first state intervention into the Orleans Parish school system since it was restructured in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. Fateama S. Fulmore, superintendent of NOLA Public Schools.(NOLA Public Schools)

Nyesha Veal has served as the chief financial officer for NOLA-PS since 2024. Brumley’s letter did not mention her by name, but alleged a pattern of accounting errors and financial mismanagement over the past two years, including the recent underreporting of approximately $13 million in sales tax revenue in the last annual financial report.

Brumley wrote that the LDOE was notified of this problem by “school leaders,” and that the NOLA-PS CFO was questions about the disparity.

“During that discussion, the CFO acknowledged that the STR data submitted to LDOE was incorrect and had been underreported by approximately $13 million. The CFO further indicated that the omission of June 2025 sales tax revenue from the AFR, as well as the delayed submission of tax data, had no impact.

“This assertion is incorrect. The omission and delay have had material consequences, including impacts on statewide funding calculations and local budget planning. This reflects a concerning lack of understanding regarding the importance of accurate and timely financial reporting by NOLA-PS. … This is not an isolated incident of concern within the financial management of the system that can be overlooked as a simple mistake. Instead, this is a repeated pattern and must be addressed immediately.”

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Car finance saga: Millions of motorists to find out how they will be compensated

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Car finance saga: Millions of motorists to find out how they will be compensated

Millions of motorists who were mis-sold a car loan will find out how they will be compensated, as the finance watchdog shares its final plans for an industry-wide scheme.

Final decisions on the long-awaited programme will be published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on Monday afternoon.

The regulator set out draft plans last year but it is likely to make several changes after receiving more than 1,000 responses to its consultation.

Under the latest proposals, the scheme will cover car finance agreements taken out between April 6 2007 and November 1 2024.

The FCA estimated that around 14 million deals, or 44% of all those made since 2007, were unfair and therefore eligible for compensation.

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Consumers were estimated to be compensated an average of £700 per agreement, but it will be more or less depending on individual cases.

This was expected to come at a total cost of £11 billion to the industry, including the total payouts and the operational costs of running the scheme.

Craig Tebbutt, a financial health expert for Equifax UK, said: “It has previously been estimated that average compensation levels could be in the region of £700 per agreement but the final details around the scale, scope and timelines are expected to be confirmed on Monday.

“However, there is nothing to stop consumers checking their paperwork now and getting their details ready in the meantime.”

He said research by the credit reporting firm found that “many consumers don’t know how to check their eligibility and expect the process to be a hassle, with old or missing paperwork being a real barrier”.

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Equifax has launched a car finance checker within its new app that lets people see a list of their past agreements and copy the details, with motorists encouraged to send a complaint to their lender using a template on the FCA’s website if they think they’re eligible for a payout.

Lenders and car finance providers had been challenging the FCA’s proposals with some raising concerns that the expected amount of compensation is too high and does not accurately reflect what customers lost.

On the other side, some consumer groups and MPs have argued that many motorists will be short-changed under the current plans.

The FCA said millions of motorists could receive compensation in 2026 (Jacob King/PA) · Jacob King

The FCA has already announced some changes that it is making to the process since the proposals were unveiled last year.

This includes giving lenders more time to contact motor finance customers from when the scheme is officially launched.

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But it is also aiming to streamline the process by allowing those due redress to accept it immediately without waiting for a final determination.

It thinks that this means million of people would receive compensation in 2026.

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