What to do if…
your bank blocks a payment because the payee details appear to have changed

What to do now

1. Stop the payment attempt. Keep the bank’s block in place while you check the details.
2. Record what you can see. Note the exact warning, amount, payee name, sort code, account number, payment reference, and time. A screenshot can help if it does not reveal sensitive passcodes.
3. Treat changed payee details as a scam risk until checked. Changed bank details can be a warning sign of invoice redirection or authorised push payment fraud.
4. Check your banking app for anything you did not do. Look for new or edited payees, unfamiliar payment references, or unfamiliar devices if your bank shows them. Tell your bank straight away if anything looks wrong.
5. Verify the payee through a route you already trust. Use an old invoice, contract, saved number, official website, secure portal, or previous correspondence, not the contact details in the message that gave the new bank details.
6. Ask the payee for the registered account name. For a business, this may be different from its trading name. Compare it with the name-check result shown by your bank, if one is shown.
7. Contact your bank through a trusted route. Use in-app support or the number on the back of your card. Ask what the warning means, what payee field appears to have changed, and what they need before the payment can be safely made.
8. If the payment is high value, slow it down further. For rent deposits, building work, business invoices, conveyancing, or solicitor payments, confirm the details using a known phone number or secure portal before sending any money.
9. If the payee says the payment is urgent, ask for time. Say your bank has blocked the payment because the details appear to have changed and you need to verify them. Do not send to new details just to meet a deadline.
10. If you still need to pay today, use only an established route. Use a known payment portal, a verified phone payment line, or another method you have used before, only if you have independently confirmed it is genuine.
11. If anything feels wrong, tell your bank you suspect fraud. Ask them to check for suspicious payee changes and account access. Change your banking password and the password for the email account linked to your banking.
12. If money has already left your account, act immediately. Contact your bank or payment provider and ask whether the payment can be stopped, recalled, or investigated as an authorised push payment scam.
13. Report suspected fraud through the right route. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, report it to Report Fraud. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland. If someone is threatening you or a crime is happening now, call 999.