NatWest, NCA launch invoice fraud awareness drive

NatWest Bank and the UK's National Crime Agency have launched a joint awareness campaign to combat the rising threat of invoice and business email compromise fraud.

NatWest Bank and the UK's National Crime Agency have launched a joint awareness campaign to combat the rising threat of invoice and business email compromise fraud, which costs businesses millions annually, Infosecurity Magazine reports.

This sophisticated crime involves fraudsters impersonating suppliers or intercepting communications to trick victims into sending payments to fraudulent accounts.

According to recent data from Action Fraud, just 83 reports in September 2025 resulted in average losses of £47,000 per victim, totaling nearly £4 million.

Nick Sharp, deputy director of fraud at the NCA’s National Economic Crime Centre, warned that such fraud can destroy businesses and livelihoods due to catastrophic cashflow loss. The campaign urges individuals and businesses to adopt a "Check, Verify, Never" approach: Scrutinizing invoice details, independently verifying changes via known contact methods, and never rushing payments.

NatWest's Avani Patel stated the initiative aims to equip businesses with the knowledge to protect themselves against these increasingly sophisticated attacks targeting organizations of all sizes.

Written by

Sharon Florentine Editorial Director

Sharon Florentine is the editorial director for CyberRisk Alliance’s Channel Brands and acting editorial director for SC UK. She is responsible for setting strategy and editorial direction and developing content for news, features, analysis and other written content, moderates live webcasts, and oversees research projects. Sharon has previously held key editorial, content and leadership positions at DevOps.com, Security Boulevard, CIO.com, Ziff Davis Enterprise, and CRN, among others.