Lock down remote networks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Redesign payment approval workflows<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Secure sensitive supplier banking data<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Now that the rush has slowed, it\u2019s clear the next step is obvious: tighten security before fraud tightens its grip<\/strong>.<\/p>\n ACH fraud was already rising before 2020. According to fraud examiners, cyber fraud increased sharply during this period. ACH fraud<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Business email compromise (BEC)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Vendor email compromise (VEC)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n In simple terms, criminals followed the money \u2014 and the weakest controls.<\/p>\n One of the most effective fraud tactics today is vendor email compromise<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it usually works:<\/p>\n A fraudster gains access to a supplier\u2019s email system<\/p>\n<\/li>\n They monitor invoice timing and payment patterns<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Just before a large payment, they request a \u201cbank account update\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Funds are redirected to a fraudulent account<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The account is closed after the money arrives<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Because these emails look legitimate, they often bypass basic checks.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, this type of fraud is far more common than most teams expect<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Even vigilant finance teams can be exposed if processes are weak.<\/p>\n Bank account details are still frequently sent by email. Email remains one of the easiest channels for attackers to intercept.<\/p>\n Some teams validate supplier data carefully. That inconsistency creates opportunity for fraud.<\/p>\n Supplier banking data is often stored in:<\/p>\n Spreadsheets<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Shared drives<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Unsecured folders<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Once exposed, the damage is hard to undo.<\/p>\n The goal isn\u2019t to slow payments down \u2014 it\u2019s to make them safer.<\/p>\n Here are practical steps businesses can take.<\/p>\n Avoid email for banking information<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Use secure portals or encrypted channels<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Train teams to reject \u201curgent exception\u201d requests<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Before updating any payment details:<\/p>\n Confirm changes through a second channel<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Cross-check existing supplier records<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Apply consistent approval workflows<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Payment systems should:<\/p>\n Restrict access by role<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Log all changes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Be reviewed regularly<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Security improves when fewer people touch sensitive data.<\/p>\n ACH works \u2014 but it exposes raw bank account data<\/strong>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why many businesses now prefer:<\/p>\n Card-based payments<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Tokenized payment methods<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Virtual cards with spending controls<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Unlike ACH, virtual cards:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t expose real bank details<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Can be limited, paused, or canceled instantly<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Reduce the blast radius if compromised<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Virtual cards offer a different security model.<\/p>\n Instead of sharing bank account information:<\/p>\n Each payment uses a unique card<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Limits are set in advance<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Cards can be frozen immediately<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n This makes them especially effective for:<\/p>\n SaaS subscriptions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Vendor payments<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Cross-border transactions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The rapid shift to digital payments brought speed and convenience. ACH fraud, vendor email compromise, and payment data exposure are not edge cases anymore \u2014 they\u2019re everyday risks.<\/p>\n Now is the time to:<\/p>\n Revisit payment workflows<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Reduce reliance on exposed bank data<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Adopt safer, more controllable payment methods<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Virtual cards and platforms like Buvei<\/strong> <\/a>don\u2019t just modernize payments \u2014 they reduce risk by design<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s environment, that\u2019s no longer optional.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wordpress.buvei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/After-the-Digital-Payments-Boom-Security-Risks-Rise.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhy ACH and Digital Payment Fraud Increased So Quickly<\/strong><\/h3>\n
But once payments went fully digital, the problem accelerated.<\/p>\n
That includes:<\/p>\n\n
Vendor Email Compromise: The Most Common Payment Threat<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Where Payment Security Often Breaks Down<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. Sensitive Data Shared by Email<\/strong><\/h4>\n
This is convenient \u2014 but unsafe.<\/p>\n2. Inconsistent Validation Processes<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Others rush when payments feel urgent.<\/p>\n3. Poor Storage of Payment Information<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wordpress.buvei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/\u82f1\u8bed-1-1024x307.png\")
<\/a><\/h3>\nHow to Reduce Risk in Modern Payment Operations<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Use Secure Data Collection Methods<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
Validate Before You Pay<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
Limit Access and Monitor Activity<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n
Why Many Businesses Are Moving Away from ACH for Certain Payments<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wordpress.buvei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/After-the-Digital-Payments-Boom-Security-Risks-Rise-1.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nHow Virtual Cards Improve Payment Security<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h3>\n
But it also revealed new security gaps.<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wordpress.buvei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/39805008-9713-4734-8f50-1fc13313bbeb-18272166-1-6.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"During the pandemic, businesses moved to digital payments almost overnight.ACH transfers, remote approvals, and online payment workflows became…","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":26267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[24697,24689,24691,5759,24695,7025,24699,24701,17601,19610,24693,5551],"class_list":{"0":"post-26266","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-accounts-payable-security","9":"tag-ach-fraud-risk","10":"tag-business-payment-fraud","11":"tag-buvei-virtual-cards","12":"tag-cyber-fraud-prevention","13":"tag-digital-payment-security","14":"tag-payment-data-protection","15":"tag-safer-business-payments","16":"tag-secure-payment-methods","17":"tag-secure-saas-payments","18":"tag-vendor-email-compromise","19":"tag-virtual-card-security","20":"cs-entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26266\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buvei.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}