Fake invoices during holiday season

Summer is something many look forward to — but it is also a favourite period for fraudsters. With thinner staffing, temps and unusual routines, it becomes easier for fake invoices to slip through.

And those who want to trick you know it.

According to Småföretagarnas Riksförbund, fraud against business owners increases during summer, when fraudsters exploit that summer temps often have weaker knowledge of routines and security. Handelsbanken also notes that fraudsters are more active during holiday periods and that frauds are often initiated via fake or hacked email accounts.

What a typical fake invoice looks like

Fake invoices can be hard to tell apart from real ones. They often look entirely legitimate and include correct contact details, logos and invoice language. Common signs:

• The invoice is for something you never ordered.

• It has a short payment deadline and an urgent tone.

• The sender resembles a company you have dealt with — but is not the same one.

When the usual decision-makers are on holiday, payments are easily approved without the normal checks.

How to reduce the risk during holidays

A few simple measures go a long way in protecting you against fake invoices in summer:

Have clear invoice routines — even during holidays. Who may approve invoices when the responsible person is away?

Do not let invoices go to payment without someone actually reviewing them. Sounds obvious — but mistakes happen easily when fewer people are on site.

Be extra careful with new suppliers. Sometimes a quick search or a short call is enough to spot a scam.

How Vidd helps you stay in control — even when you are away

Beyond internal routines, a system like Vidd adds an extra layer of security — especially during periods with thinner staffing. Vidd automatically reviews invoices and payments in real time and flags deviations that would otherwise slip through unnoticed.

You can also set special approval rules for the summer, for example:

• Payments above a certain amount require dual approval

• New suppliers must be verified with BankID

• Certain payments are paused until the responsible person is back

Everything happens in the background — without disrupting day-to-day work.

Acting in time saves money and headaches

An incorrect payout can be hard to get back — especially if it is not discovered immediately. And it is often only afterwards that you realise how easy it would have been to prevent.

So before you log off for holiday — make sure you have protection in place.

Want to know how Vidd can help? Get in touch — we are happy to show you how to get started, quickly and smoothly.

Noah Mannberg, CTO