Pick of the Week – International payments, delays… and a growing security risk

International payments don’t just go missing or get delayed, sometimes they’re intercepted.

As we head toward the Christmas period, fraud attempts around international payments tend to rise. One of the most common tactics? Intercepting or spoofing emails containing settlement instructions.

It’s easy to see why it works. Settlement details are often shared over email, sometimes forwarded multiple times, and often acted on quickly. A subtle change to a beneficiary name or bank account can be hard to spot, until it’s too late.

Industry data suggests authorised push payment (APP) fraud continues to increase year on year, with payment instruction manipulation one of the fastest-growing methods. And once funds leave the account, recovery can be extremely difficult.

This isn’t just a security issue; it can also cause delays. Payments flagged for review, compliance checks, or recalls can take days or weeks to resolve.

That’s why one simple habit makes a huge difference:

📞 Always call to confirm settlement instructions before sending funds, especially if details are new or have recently changed.

A quick phone call to your broker, provider, or counterparty can protect you from fraud, delays, and unnecessary stress, particularly when large sums or time-sensitive payments are involved.

At August Exchange, we actively encourage verbal verification and secure processes around payment instructions. It’s a small step that can prevent very big problems.

If you’re moving money internationally over the coming weeks, it’s worth slowing down just enough to double-check. Security and certainty should always come first.