Paying a tradesperson
The biggest fraud risk with trades isn't the trade themselves — it's the invoice fraud and account-takeover scams that target their email accounts.
Have you received an invoice?
If yes, upload it — we'll fill in the bank details for you.
Either way you only enter information we don't already have.
In 2025, over £1.2 billion was stolen by fraudsters in the UK, according to UK Finance. 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
Always verify the bank details before you transfer, even to a trade you've used before. Once an email account is compromised, scammers can swap payment details mid-job and the trade won't know until they chase you for payment.
Tips before you transfer
Verify the bank account against the trade's company
Run CoP + Companies House. The account name should match the registered business name, not a personal account.
Call to confirm any payment-details change
If an invoice arrives with 'updated bank details', call the trade on a number you already have — not one in the email — to confirm.
Pay in stages, not up front
For larger jobs, milestone payments tied to completed work limit your exposure if anything goes wrong.
Ask for references — and verify them
Genuine trades happily share recent customer references. Vague answers or fake reviews are a red flag.
Common scam patterns
- Compromised email: invoice intercepted, bank account swapped
- Up-front 'materials' deposit far exceeding the real cost
- Disappearance mid-job after a large stage payment
- Lookalike business name with similar but different bank account
Frequently asked
- How do I check if a seller on A tradesperson is genuine?
- Run the bank account they've given you through Confirmation of Payee — a mismatch between the account holder name and the seller is the strongest fraud signal you'll get. If they're trading as a company, cross-check the number against Companies House and confirm any VAT number with HMRC. All three checks run in under a minute at whoamipaying?.
- What are the biggest scams on A tradesperson?
- Compromised email: invoice intercepted, bank account swapped. Up-front 'materials' deposit far exceeding the real cost These patterns show up on almost every UK marketplace — the platform-specific twist is usually how the seller pressures you off-platform or asks for direct bank transfer.
- Is it safe to pay by bank transfer on A tradesperson?
- Bank transfer offers no built-in buyer protection — once the money's sent it's rarely recoverable, even if fraud is proven later. If you have to use it, verify the payee bank account matches the seller's name first. For higher-value items, use a card or an escrow service so Section 75 / chargeback rights apply.
- What should I do if I've already paid a scammer?
- Contact your bank immediately to attempt a recall on the transfer, then report the fraud to Action Fraud (0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk) and to the platform. The faster you act, the higher the chance your bank can freeze the funds under the Contingent Reimbursement Model.
- Does whoamipaying? cost anything to try?
- The first check is £2.50 with no account required. Multi-check packs bring the cost down to £1.43 per check, and business accounts get volume rates from around £0.70. There's no subscription — you top up when you need to.
Related reading
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 checkWant more? Read related articles on our blog