Invoice Fraud Statistics
Last updated: June 2026 · 6 sourced statistics
The fake invoice is one of the oldest scams in business — and email has industrialized it. Business email compromise, where criminals impersonate a supplier and redirect a legitimate payment, now touches roughly three out of four organizations. These figures come from AFP's annual fraud survey and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Key takeaways
- 74% of organizations were hit by business email compromise in 2025 (AFP).
- FBI-reported BEC losses approach $2.8 billion per year.
- Average reported BEC losses run well over $100,000 per incident.
The statistics
74% of organizations were affected by business email compromise in 2025 — the most common route for fraudulent invoice and payment-redirect attacks (AFP 2026 survey).
Source:AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey2026
BEC was cited by 63% of organizations as the No. 1 fraud avenue in 2024 (AFP 2025 survey).
Source:AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey2025
Reported BEC losses were close to $2.8 billion in the FBI's most recent annual cybercrime report.
Source:FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center2025
Average reported losses per BEC incident exceed $100,000, based on IC3 complaint volumes and totals.
Source:FBI IC3 Annual Report2024
Occupational fraud cases (including billing schemes) cause a median loss of $145,000 per case, with billing schemes among the most common, per the ACFE's global study.
Source:ACFE Report to the Nations2024
76% of US organizations experienced attempted or actual payments fraud overall in 2025 (AFP).
Source:AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey2026
Methodology & sources
Compiled June 2026 from AFP's Payments Fraud and Control Surveys (2025 and 2026 editions), FBI IC3 annual reports, and the ACFE's biennial Report to the Nations. Reported-loss figures understate true losses since much fraud goes unreported.
Frequently asked questions
What is invoice fraud?
Any scheme using fake or manipulated invoices to extract payment: vendor impersonation via compromised email (BEC), fictitious-supplier billing schemes by insiders, and altered bank details on real invoices.
How common is invoice/BEC fraud?
Extremely — 74% of organizations encountered BEC in 2025 (AFP), and FBI-reported BEC losses run near $2.8 billion a year.
How do businesses prevent invoice fraud?
Verified callback procedures before changing vendor bank details, three-way matching of PO/receipt/invoice, segregation of duties, and positive pay on check accounts.
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