Your Israeli supplier sends an invoice, then asks you to transfer the money to a different company. The explanation might mention a group company, a collection arrangement or an administrative change. Your finance team has a practical problem: the company named in the order, the invoice issuer and the proposed bank beneficiary no longer line up.
A request to pay a different company can leave the payer facing an unresolved invoice even after money has moved. Conflicting instructions also create avoidable pressure near the payment deadline. The response needs to connect the verified request with the contractual payment obligations.
Separate the supplier, invoice issuer and proposed recipient
Start a short comparison sheet. Copy each name exactly as it appears in the original document. Keep registration identifiers, invoice numbers, currency and the relevant order reference beside the names. Do not shorten different companies to the same trading name.
- Order or agreement: which entity is named as your supplier?
- Invoice: which entity issued it, and which order does it reference?
- Payment request: who sent the new instruction, and when?
- Proposed recipient: what beneficiary name and bank details were supplied?
Record a mismatch as an unanswered question. Do not describe two entities as the same company merely because their names, email domains or logos are similar. Ask the supplier to explain the relationship and identify the documents it relies on.
A genuine payment instruction and an acceptable contractual payment arrangement are separate questions. Confirming who sent a message does not answer every question about what it asks you to do.
Verify the request outside the changed email thread
The FBI recommends checking changed payment instructions through the contact already on file, not a number supplied in the changed email. Its verification guidance also recommends finding the number independently. IC3 recommends a secondary channel for changes in account information.
Use an established contact route from your own records. Ask the known contact to confirm the exact beneficiary, the specific invoice and who initiated the change. Record when the check took place and what was confirmed. A reply inside the original email chain is not an independent check of that chain.
If the known contact cannot confirm the beneficiary and invoice, hold the request for your payment approver to review. Treat the mismatch as unresolved rather than an accusation of fraud or permission to pay a different entity.
Get one consistent explanation on the record
Keep the supplier’s explanation beside the original instruction, rather than rewriting it into your own preferred interpretation. Ask which invoice and amount the proposed payment concerns, why the recipient differs, and whether the supplier proposes changing any existing payment document. Mark missing answers clearly.
For example, “same group” leaves several practical questions open: which company is issuing the invoice, which company is supplying the work, and which company is asking to receive the funds? A phone confirmation may establish that the request is genuine while leaving those document questions unresolved.
A proposed payment confirmation should connect the beneficiary to the particular invoice, amount and currency, and state how the supplier will treat receipt of the funds. Counsel can negotiate the authority for the instruction and the treatment of the original debt with the relevant parties, with accounting or tax input where the transaction needs it. That is more useful than accepting a general assurance that the companies belong to the same group.
If the transfer has already been made
Preserve the original request, its attachments, the transfer confirmation and the supplier’s later messages. Separate what your bank confirms from what the supplier says. If you suspect a fraudulent transfer, the FBI advises contacting your financial institution immediately. Do not assume that recovery is available or guaranteed.
If the supplier still treats the invoice as unpaid, reconcile the transfer evidence with the contractual account and the instructions the parties exchanged. Our practical guide to reconciling a claimed payment identifies the payment records to compare before responding to a renewed demand.
Resolve the payment arrangement before it becomes a second dispute
Prepare the agreement or order, invoice, original change request, independent verification note and any payment confirmation. State the decision you face: responding to the supplier, reviewing a proposed arrangement, or handling a transfer already made. Include any payment date mentioned in the documents without assuming its legal effect.
Our firm can assess the contractual position, challenge inconsistent payment instructions and negotiate a documented arrangement with the relevant parties. We can draft the payment confirmation and treatment of the invoice, or address competing claims after a transfer. The aim is to connect the commercial payment with a clear record of what it settles, rather than leave the business defending the same invoice twice.
A request to pay a different company can expose your business to competing payment claims. Contact our firm to assess the contractual position and resolve the payment arrangement with the parties. Contact our firm on WhatsApp | email [email protected]
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws and their application depend on the facts and jurisdiction and may change. Although we aim to keep this information accurate and current, we do not guarantee that it is complete or up to date. The article may contain omissions or errors. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship with RNC Group. Before making a decision or taking action, seek advice from a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.