Protecting Your Business from Supply Chain Invoice Attacks | PKF Infuse

At PKF Infuse, we are seeing a large increase in businesses across the UK being targeted through cyber-attacks on their supply chains. Online hackers are exploiting weak points, particularly email accounts, to steal genuine invoices and replicate them using cheap, easily obtained domain names in order to trick unsuspecting customers into making fraudulent payments.

In this article, we explore how a supply chain invoice attack happens and what steps businesses can take to protect themselves from online hackers.

How Do Supply Chain Invoice Attacks Work? 

Supply chain invoice attacks can happen easily, without business owners even realising what has happened. Here’s a typical scenario that can unfold: 

1. A hacker gains access to an email account belonging to one of your suppliers, usually due to weak or compromised cyber security measures.
2. The hacker identifies real invoices sent by this supplier to their customers, including your business. 
3. They buy a similar-looking cheap domain   changing one character or adding a hyphen for example, copy the stolen invoice layout, and resend invoices from their fake domain. The pretend domain could look something like this:

Cheap, fake domain: supercleaners.co.uk 

Real website: supercleaner.co.uk (missing ‘s’) 

Customers who do not spot the subtle domain difference then make payments directly into the hackers’ bank account. 

This scam is repeated, targeting multiple customers found within compromised business mailboxes or using AI-driven research to uncover other potential victims connected to the supplier. 

How Can Your Business Protect Itself? 3 easy steps 

1. Always Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Enabling Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) on emails and all critical business systems dramatically reduces the risk of unauthorised access. MFA provides an extra layer of security, making it increasingly harder for cyber criminals to breach your accounts -even if passwords are compromised. This is not just for your benefit, but also for the benefit of your entire supply chain. 

2. Audit Your Supply Chain’s Security

Your business security doesn’t end at your business accounts. It is crucial to regularly audit the cyber security measures of your suppliers. You can do this by: 

• Requesting information about how they manage and secure email communications. 

• Confirming that they use MFA and up-to-date security protocols. 

• Establishing clear policies around how invoices are sent, including secure channels for verifying payment details. 

3. Use Domain Impersonation Detection Technologies

Implementing domain impersonation detection tools can significantly reduce your exposure. These technologies can: 

• Identify and block fraudulent emails sent from lookalike domains. 

• Alert your team about suspicious communications before they reach employees. 

• Reduce the likelihood of invoice fraud by flagging potential threats in real-time. 

Act now to stay secure

Supply chain attacks are increasingly common but a few changes can mean they are preventable. By implementing robust security practices such as MFA, actively auditing your suppliers’ security protocols, and deploying domain impersonation tools, you can significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim. 

Taking proactive steps now protects your finances, reputation, and customers—keeping your business safe in a digital-first world. 

How PKF Infuse can help

At PKF Infuse, we can help in protecting your business from email-based threats and supply chain attacks. Using advanced AI-driven technologies, we can detect and block impersonation attempts and fraudulent communications proactively. Our team can provide continuous monitoring and guidance, ensuring your email security is robust and up-to-date, helping safeguard your business against costly fraud. Get in touch today to see how we can help.