Verifying banking details before you pay is the single most effective step against invoice fraud, and it takes one phone call to a number you already had.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not any of the companies listed here and cannot act on your behalf. Everything on this page is a routing aid so you reach the right official channel with the right information in hand.
Who actually handles this
You, using a contact you established before the payment request arrived. The whole attack depends on you verifying the new details using contact information supplied in the same message that carries them.
What to do, in order
- Stop if bank details have changed. A supplier changing its account is the single most common setup for this fraud.
- Phone the supplier on a number you already had, from an earlier invoice, a signed contract or their official website. Never a number in the new email.
- Ask a person you have dealt with before to confirm the account name, number and branch out loud.
- Check the account holder name matches the business name exactly. Payment to a personal account for a business invoice is the clearest single warning.
- For a large payment, send a small test amount first and confirm receipt before sending the balance.
- Keep a written record of who confirmed the details and when.
What to have ready before you make contact
- The previous invoice or contract with the original banking details.
- A phone number for the supplier that predates this request.
- The name of a person there you have dealt with before.
- The new details, so you can read them back for confirmation.
Verified bank fraud lines
Every route in this table was taken from the organisation’s own official contact page and checked on 21 August 2026. Contact details change, so confirm on the official site before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Absa fraud hotline | 0860 557 557 |
| Capitec, report phishing or suspicious activity | 0860 10 20 34 |
| FNB 24 hour fraud call centre | 087 575 9444 |
| Nedbank fraud line | 0800 110 929 |
| Standard Bank fraud line | 0800 222 050 |
The three checks that catch almost everything
- Check the identity. Confirm the organisation or person is who they claim, using a contact route you found yourself. Never use a number or address supplied in the same message that is asking you to act.
- Check the account name. For any payment, the bank account holder’s name should match the business you believe you are paying. Payment to a personal account for a business transaction is the single strongest warning sign there is.
- Check the payment method. Prefer something you can dispute. A card payment can be challenged through your bank; an instant transfer or a cryptocurrency payment generally cannot be recovered at all.
Almost every scam in this category fails at one of those three. The pressure to act quickly exists precisely to stop you running them.
Common mistakes that cost time
- Phoning the number on the new invoice. That reaches the fraudster, who confirms everything cheerfully.
- Replying to the email to check. The reply goes to the same place the request came from.
- Accepting a plausible explanation for the change, such as an audit or a frozen account. Those explanations are part of the script.
- Assuming an email from a familiar address is safe. Business email accounts are compromised, and the request then comes from the real address.
The scam to watch for
This is business email compromise, and it is the highest-value fraud in South Africa by rand amount. The email often comes from a genuine, compromised mailbox, so it passes every instinct you have about spotting fakes. Verification by voice, on a number you already had, is what defeats it.
If it is not resolved
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud handles unresolved consumer complaints against participating suppliers, free of charge to the consumer. It also expects you to have gone through the supplier’s own complaints process first. The National Consumer Commission is the statutory consumer authority and handles matters that fall outside an ombud scheme’s remit.
Escalation works on evidence. Keep a short written log of every contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the person you spoke to and the reference number you were given. Every formal complaints process asks for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| CGSO consumer complaints call centre | 0860 000 272 |
| CGSO WhatsApp | 081 335 3005 |
| CGSO general email | [email protected] |
| National Consumer Commission contact centre | 012 065 1940 |
| National Consumer Commission enquiries email | [email protected] |
Related contact pages
- Reverse Bank Payment Contact Details
- Verification
- Change Of Banking Details Scam
- Identity Theft Contact Details South Africa
- Banking Scam Prevention South Africa
- Check If Online Store Is Legit South Africa
- Company Impersonation Scam South Africa
- Fake Bank Call Scam South Africa
- How to verify a contact number before you use it
Frequently asked questions
The email came from the real address. Is it safe?
Not necessarily. If the mailbox has been compromised the request comes from the genuine address, which is exactly why it works.
Is a bank account verification service worth it?
Account verification services confirm that a name matches an account and are widely used by businesses. They are a good control, and they do not replace the phone call.
What if I have already paid the wrong account?
Contact your bank immediately and ask for a recall. Then report it to the police. Recovery depends almost entirely on speed.
The contact routes on this page were checked against each organisation’s official source on 21 August 2026. Where a detail has changed, the official source is always the authority.