Invoice fraud remains one of the highest‑harm fraud risks facing the construction sector

The National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Federation of Builders (NFB) have launched a new joint campaign to help protect construction businesses from invoice fraud, a crime costing construction firms millions of pounds each year as they particularly vulnerable due to:

> Complex supply chains

> High‑value, time‑pressured payments

> Heavy reliance on email for payment instructions

Recent figures show that in September 2025 alone, invoice fraud resulted in losses of £3.9m across just 83 cases, with construction and manufacturing among the most affected sectors.

The campaign reinforces three simple but critical controls:

✅ CHECK for unexpected changes to invoice or bank details

✅ VERIFY directly with suppliers using trusted contact details

✅ NEVER release funds until you are satisfied the request is genuine

A timely reminder that strong payment controls, staff awareness and verification discipline remain some of the most effective fraud prevention measures we have.

https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/news.nsf/articles/NCA+and+National+Federation+of+Builders+launch+campaign+to+protect+against+invoice+fraud+in+construction+27032026112500