Cyber Safety: Preventing Invoice Fraud

August 7, 2023

As cybercrime continues to evolve, one concerning trend impacting CDF clients is the rise of Invoice Fraud, also known as Invoice Hacking or Invoice Redirection.

Invoice Fraud occurs when cybercriminals impersonate legitimate businesses and suppliers, intercepting emails containing invoices. These criminals send altered emails with invoices bearing their own bank account details, tricking recipients into making payments to fraudulent accounts.

The impact of Invoice Fraud has been significant. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Scamwatch has reported that Australia's small businesses suffered losses of $14 million due to Invoice Fraud scams.

What makes Invoice Fraud particularly challenging to detect is its sophisticated nature, as there may be no obvious signs of a scam. Unlike traditional email scams, these fraudulent invoices often do not contain spelling mistakes or fake email addresses that would raise suspicions. Victims may remain unaware of the deception until weeks later when the genuine supplier contacts them to request payment, by which time their money has already been lost to cybercriminals.

To help safeguard your business against invoice fraud:

1. Always verify changes

When you receive requests to alter bank account details, email addresses, or payment information, take the time to verify these changes over the phone, using a contact number you already know or from the supplier's official website. Avoid using the contact information provided in the invoice, as it could be fraudulent. Human interaction during verification can minimize the risk of falling victim to invoice hacking.

2. Exercise caution and diligence

Avoid rushing or being pressured into making payments quickly; instead, carry out due diligence by double-checking the legitimacy and accuracy of the provided account details.

3. Review email addresses

Closely scrutinize any change requests to ensure they are not spoof emails. Look for any anomalies or inconsistencies in the email addresses, font or language, which could be indicative of fraudulent activity.

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Helping Children Feel Safe to Learn with MacKillop Family Services

April 17, 2026

For some children, the classroom can feel overwhelming. Anxiety, trauma, learning challenges or difficult life experiences can make it hard to concentrate, participate or feel safe at school. For these students, reconnecting with learning often requires more than traditional support approaches. Since 2018, MacKillop Family Services’ Paw Pals program has quietly been helping students take meaningful steps forward, one gentle interaction at a time. Through the presence of specially trained therapy dogs and skilled facilitators, Paw Pals creates safe and supportive environments where children can regulate emotions, rebuild trust and re-engage with learning. For the past five years, CDF has proudly partnered with MacKillop Family Services to support the continued growth of this program across schools.

A place of hope for the Bunbury Diocese: St Joseph's Church Albany named first Diocesan Shrine

April 2, 2026

On Sunday 22 March 2026, the Catholic community in Albany gathered for a moment that had been generations in the making. St Joseph's Church, Albany was formally declared the first Diocesan Shrine for the Diocese of Bunbury - a recognition that affirms what so many in the community have long known: this is a place where faith endures, and where people come to seek hope. The Elevation Mass, celebrated by Bishop George Kolodziej SDS DD and led locally by Parish Priest Fr Vincent Comple OSJ, brought together clergy, pilgrims and visitors from across the diocese to mark the occasion. It was the culmination of a weekend of prayer, reflection and celebration that honoured both the history of the Church in Albany and the beginning of this new chapter. A weekend of prayer and pilgrimage The celebrations unfolded across three days. Friday opened with a Holy Hour and Mass celebrated by Bishop George. On Saturday, pilgrims walked through Albany retracing the history of the Catholic Church in the region, before gathering for Mass and fellowship. Sunday's Elevation Mass brought the weekend to a close, followed by a community celebration of this important milestone.

Bishop Mark Ordained and Installed as Ninth Bishop of Ballarat

By Michelle Ross-FitzGerald • March 25, 2026

Media Release: Catholic Diocese of Ballarat The Catholic Diocese of Ballarat joyfully celebrated the ordination and installation of Fr Mark Freeman as the Ninth Bishop of Ballarat on Thursday 19 March at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Ballarat. The celebration brought together bishops, clergy, parish representatives, ecumenical guests, civic representatives, and members of the wider community to witness this significant moment in the life of the Church. The ordination and installation were led by Archbishop Peter A Comensoli with assisting bishops from all over Australia. In addition to around these 500 people packing St Patrick’s Cathedral, the ceremony was livestreamed to hundreds of people across the country.

CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has indemnified the Catholic Development Fund ABN 15 274 943 760 (the Fund) against any liability arising out of a claim by investors in the Fund. In practice, this means your investment is backed by the assets of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Fund is required by law to make the following disclosure. Investment in the Fund is only intended to attract investors whose primary purpose for making their investment is to support the charitable purposes of the Fund. Investors’ funds will be used to generate a return to the Fund that will be applied to further the charitable works of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale and Bunbury. The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by ASIC. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and investments in the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed here or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.