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Hiring a trade through Checkatrade

Checkatrade vets its trades, which catches most cowboys, but it doesn't catch invoice fraud — where a real trade's account is compromised or impersonated.

Upload a screenshot of the Checkatrade listing

We attach it to your report so you have a record of what was advertised next to the bank-account check.

Drop, paste, or click to upload

PNG, JPG, or WebP

Next: pick the level of check, then we'll collect the bank details from the seller.

In 2025, over £1.2 billion was stolen by fraudsters in the UK. Verify before you pay.

What we check

4 checks across the UK's most-trusted data sources, run in under 30 seconds.

Confirmation of Payee

Bank account matches the payee name

Companies House

Company registered & active

VAT verification

VAT number valid

Seller Reviews

Reputation on Google, Trustpilot & more

The biggest risk on a Checkatrade-found trade isn't the trade themselves — it's that the invoice you've been emailed to pay might not actually be from them. Always verify the bank details before sending money.

How to stay safe

Tips before you transfer

Verify the bank details against the trade's profile

Trades list business names on Checkatrade. Run CoP and Companies House — the bank account should match.

Call the number on Checkatrade — not the invoice

If anything's changed about the payment details, ring the trade on the number listed on their Checkatrade profile to confirm directly.

Watch for 'updated bank details' emails

Mid-job changes to payment details are the classic invoice-redirection scam. Treat any such email as suspicious until verbally confirmed.

Pay in stages

For larger jobs, split payments into milestones tied to completed work — never pay the full balance up front.

Red flags

Common scam patterns

  • Compromised email account: a real trade's invoice rerouted to a scammer's bank
  • Lookalike domains (tradename-payments.com vs tradename.com)
  • Trade impersonator with fake Checkatrade listing or scraped reviews
  • 'Materials up front' demand far exceeding the actual cost

Verify before you transfer

Enter the bank details from the invoice and we'll show you what we can verify in seconds. No account needed to pay.

Start a check

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