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If there’s one cyber scam that has hit UK golf clubs more than any other over the last two years, it’s invoice fraud. And the worst part? It almost always catches people who are sensible, experienced, and simply trying to get their job done. The fraudsters behind these attacks aren’t sending out clumsy fake messages anymore — they’re studying club websites, monitoring social media, copying supplier invoices, and crafting emails that look completely legitimate.
When I speak to golf club managers, treasurers or secretaries who’ve been caught out, there’s always a sense of disbelief: “I can’t believe how real it looked.” And honestly, I understand why. Some of the fraudulent emails I’ve seen would fool almost anyone - even me 😀. They mirror your tone. They mimic your suppliers. They time their approach around busy periods. They know exactly how clubs operate.
In this article, we’ll take a clear, practical look at how invoice fraud works, why golf clubs are such attractive targets, and the steps you can take to stop your club becoming the next victim. No jargon. No technical overwhelm. Just real-world guidance based on what’s actually happening across UK clubs right now
Why Golf Clubs Are Prime Targets for Invoice Fraud
Golf clubs sit in a unique space: you process frequent payments, deal with suppliers who often invoice by email, and operate with small administrative teams who are stretched across multiple responsibilities. Attackers love this environment because it increases the chance that someone will approve a payment quickly, especially during busy times like month-end, competition weeks or staffing shortages.
Fraudsters also know that clubs have seasonal staff, volunteers, or rotating committees. This means communication styles change throughout the year — making it easier for criminals to impersonate someone without raising suspicion.
On top of that, supplier payments are often trusted and routine. And criminals depend on trust. They exploit it.
How the Scam Usually Begins
Invoice fraud rarely starts with an email demanding money. It usually begins quietly — with research.
Criminals look at your club website, social media, AGM minutes, newsletters, and anything publicly available. They learn who the treasurer is, who the secretary is, who manages finance, and which suppliers you regularly use. Sometimes, they even spoof the domain of a real supplier, meaning the email looks identical to the legitimate one.
Once they have a picture of your processes, they strike at the perfect moment:
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A new invoice from a known supplier
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A “change of bank details” request
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A reminder for an overdue payment
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A message written in a familiar tone or urgency
Everything appears normal — until it isn’t.
The Tactics Criminals Use to Make Fraud Look Real
One of the biggest reasons clubs fall for these scams is how clever and subtle the criminals have become. They don’t just guess their approach — they craft it.
They copy real invoice templates.
They mimic tone and writing style.
They choose moments when the office is under pressure.
They reference real supplier names and projects.
They use email addresses that differ by a single character.
I’ve seen “.co.uk” swapped for “.org.uk”, and “@supplier.com” replaced with “@suppIier.com” (with a capital i instead of an L). You wouldn’t notice unless you were looking for it.
(External link suggestion: Link to NCSC “Spotting suspicious emails” resource.)
This isn’t clumsy crime. It’s calculated social engineering.
Where Most Clubs Accidentally Leave Gaps
In almost every case I’ve seen, invoice fraud succeeds because of one small oversight that seemed harmless at the time. It might be:
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A shared finance inbox where multiple people respond.
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No standard process for confirming changed bank details.
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Staff too busy to double-check legitimacy.
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Supplier payments handled by whoever is available.
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No Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on email accounts.
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Outdated or missing email security filters.
Individually, these things don’t look dangerous. But together, they create the perfect opportunity for a criminal to slip through unnoticed.
How to Stop Invoice Fraud — Practical Steps for Any Club
The good news? Preventing invoice fraud doesn’t require expensive technology or complicated systems. It mostly comes down to tightening processes and improving awareness.
Here are three measures that make an immediate difference:
1. A simple verification rule
Any request to change bank details must be confirmed verbally using a phone number already on file — never the one in the email. This single step stops the majority of scams instantly.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
If a criminal steals or guesses an email password, MFA stops them getting in. Without MFA, you’re relying on luck.
3. Email security tools that flag impersonation
Modern email filters can detect spoofing attempts, domain lookalikes, and suspicious sender patterns before anyone even opens the message.
These three changes collectively reduce invoice fraud risk dramatically.
What Clubs Often Say After an Incident
Whenever I help a club recover from an invoice fraud attempt, the reaction is always the same:
“It looked exactly like a normal invoice.”
“We had no idea someone was monitoring our emails.”
“We didn’t think it could happen to us.”
The emotional impact can be just as damaging as the financial loss. Staff feel guilty. Committees feel responsible. Everyone asks how it slipped through the net.
The answer is simple: the criminals are professionals. They’re patient, and they understand human behaviour.
But with the right protections in place, you can stop them long before they get close.
Stop Fraud Before It Leaves Your Account
Invoice fraud is one of those problems that only needs to work once to cause real damage. The scammers only have to be lucky on a single day — your club has to be careful every day.
If you’re not completely sure how well your email, finance processes and systems are protecting you right now, that’s a risk you don’t need to carry.
LinksGuard helps golf clubs put practical, real-world protections in place so your team can approve payments with confidence instead of anxiety. That includes:
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Locking down email and reducing the risk of fake invoices getting through
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Putting simple, sensible checks around bank detail changes
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Monitoring systems so suspicious activity is spotted early, not after money has gone
If you’d like help with invoice fraud prevention — or any other cyber security challenge your club is facing — you can book a free, no-obligation chat with me anytime.