Create a Treasury Fraud Response Tree

When a business finds a suspicious payment, the first minutes can be disorganized: one employee calls the bank, another contacts a vendor, and a third tries to change access. A treasury specialist can help the company prepare a response tree before an event occurs. Ask who monitors activity, who can contact the bank through an authorized channel, and who has authority to make internal decisions.

Elm Street Manufacturing has accounting staff in two time zones. The specialist asks what happens if a suspicious vendor payment request appears after the controller leaves for the day. The team realizes that the night supervisor can identify the concern but does not know the official escalation route. The specialist helps document the route and current support contacts. She does not promise a recovery outcome or say a control prevents every fraud attempt.

The response tree should identify an observable trigger, an internal owner, a bank contact method, information to preserve, and a communication owner. Keep it concise enough to use under pressure. The company should verify its own internal incident and vendor-contact practices with the appropriate advisors; the bank’s role is limited to its approved support and review process.

Schedule a tabletop practice using a hypothetical suspicious payment. Listen for delays caused by uncertainty about authority or contact information. Then update the tree through the customer’s authorized administrators as needed. A documented response does not guarantee a result, but it reduces the chance that employees rely on unverified phone numbers or pass sensitive information through an unsafe channel. The specialist’s coaching creates a usable operating habit and a clearer handoff when a real concern needs bank review.