Business and Community Fraud Safety
Simple fraud controls for small businesses, churches, schools, nonprofits, and local teams that need a calm process before money leaves the account.
Five rules that stop a lot of fraud
Verify payment changes
Use a known phone number to confirm vendor bank changes, invoice changes, or payroll updates.
Require two approvals
Any wire, ACH, unusual gift card purchase, or urgent vendor change should get a second approver.
Protect email
Turn on two-factor authentication for email, accounting, banking, payroll, and social accounts.
Separate duties
The person entering payment details should not be the only person approving release.
Red flags to pause on
- Invoice or payment change requests that arrive by email only.
- Vendor, pastor, owner, or manager impersonation with urgent secrecy.
- Requests to buy gift cards, crypto, or make odd payment methods.
- New bank details that cannot be verified through a known number.
What to do now
- Pause the payment.
- Verify through a second channel.
- Document the request and keep screenshots or emails.
- Report the pattern if it looks like fraud.
Evidence to save
- Emails, invoices, payment instructions, caller IDs, usernames, links, and screenshots.
- Payment account details, transaction IDs, and timeline notes.
- Any employee or vendor change request history.
About SAFE Net
SAFE Net is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit scam awareness and fraud education organization serving Southwest Louisiana.
SAFE Net helps local organizations recognize fraud patterns, slow down payment decisions, preserve useful evidence, and report suspicious activity.
Source basis: FTC, FBI IC3, CFPB, CISA, Louisiana Attorney General Consumer Protection, IRS, and official payment platform help pages. Last reviewed: June 9, 2026.