SUPPLIER RISK · September 12, 2026
Chinese Supplier Changed Bank Account: What to Do Before Paying
A last-minute bank-account change can be legitimate, but it is also a point where invoice fraud and internal mistakes can enter an otherwise genuine order. Pause the affected payment until the new instruction has been independently connected to the contracting seller. An established trading relationship does not authenticate every new message.
1. Freeze the change and preserve the evidence
Save the original payment instruction, revised invoice, complete sender address and message history. Tell the person preparing the transfer that the new account is unapproved. Do not overwrite the existing beneficiary record while verification is still open.
Illustrative example: a familiar salesperson emails a new overseas account shortly before the balance is due, saying the old account is under audit. That explanation may be genuine. The buyer still needs independent confirmation before the finance team changes the payment file.
2. Verify through a previously established contact route
Call a number already verified in your supplier records, rather than a number supplied in the change request. Ask the known contact to confirm the legal seller, reason for the change, complete beneficiary details and who authorised it. Where possible, involve a previously verified finance contact as well as sales.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recommends secondary-channel verification for account-information changes. Its September 11, 2024 advisory explains how compromised legitimate email accounts can be used to redirect transfers. A convincing reply in the same email thread therefore cannot close the check.
FBI IC3: Business Email Compromise prevention guidance (2024)
3. Compare the beneficiary with the contract
Record the beneficiary’s full legal name, account number, bank, branch, SWIFT or other applicable routing details, currency and account country. Compare the proposed recipient with the seller named in the contract, business licence and original invoice. Where names use different languages, document the relationship rather than assuming a matching brand is sufficient.
Bank identifiers help route a transfer; they do not prove that the recipient is authorised to collect for your supplier. If the available documents do not establish account ownership or authority, record that limitation and keep payment on hold.
4. Document any third-party collection arrangement
A factory may use a disclosed trading company or collection provider. Require a written explanation identifying the seller, collector, relationship, affected order and refund responsibility. Ask the seller to confirm the authority through the independently verified contact route.
The paperwork should expressly address whether payment to the named collector settles the amount owed under your contract. Obtain appropriate professional review where the arrangement is unclear or material. A stamp, screenshot or statement that “this is our boss’s account” is not a substitute for establishing authority.
5. Review the whole change, not only the account number
Check for changes in sender domain, telephone number, invoice layout, payment country, currency and urgency. Ask why a new beneficiary is needed now and whether an existing contract amendment is required. Several inconsistencies together can justify a deeper investigation even if each looks minor on its own.
Use a second approver for the beneficiary update. Retain the callback record, documents reviewed, unresolved questions and approval date. A successful small test transfer confirms only that money can reach the destination; it does not prove the recipient is entitled to the order balance.
6. If funds have already been sent, act immediately
If you suspect a fraudulent transfer, contact your bank’s fraud team immediately and ask about recall or recovery options. Supply the transfer reference, beneficiary details and relevant messages. Notify your internal finance or security contact and preserve evidence; recovery is not guaranteed.
The IC3 advisory recommends prompt contact with the financial institution and reporting to IC3. Use the appropriate reporting channels in your jurisdiction as well. Do not send another payment merely because someone promises that it will unlock a refund.
Before payment: the buyer’s decision file
A complete file connects the legal seller, purchase order, approved invoice, verified beneficiary, confirmation route and authorised approver. If any link remains unexplained, pause and resolve it. The aim is a defensible payment decision, not a collection of documents that nobody has reconciled.
MORENICE can assist with China-side supplier and transaction evidence within an agreed scope. Verification cannot guarantee supplier performance, prevent every fraud or ensure recovery of funds.
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