Fraud at municipalities makes the news more often than it should — public bodies losing hundreds of thousands of euros to scams that a simple check could have caught. According to the Algemeen Dagblad, 240 municipalities still don't use IBAN-Name Check, even though it prevents a meaningful share of fraud and errors, especially in payment batches that banks don't verify automatically. It also works as a deterrent: a fraudster, whether inside the organization or outside it, is far less likely to try something they know will get caught.

Municipalities use IBAN-Name Check to onboard new suppliers correctly, pay salaries to the right account, and verify the account details of subsidy recipients. It also supports mandatory fraud and continuity reporting, which makes life easier for your accountant too.

More than 100 municipalities, and a growing number of (semi-)governmental institutions, already use SurePay to prevent phishing and invoice fraud, ensure subsidies and benefits land in the right account, comply with the Sham Employment Arrangements Act (WAS), and reduce the risk assessment their auditor has to carry out.

Onboard new suppliers without the back-and-forth

Getting a new supplier's financial details right the first time prevents problems down the line. Our IBAN-Name Check verifies a supplier's name and account number the moment they're entered, which means:

• No need to request a copy of a bank statement or card for verification.
• New records can be updated directly, with the matching result standing as evidence for your auditor or accountant.
• Far less manual work overall.

Comply with WAS, and make life easier for HR

IBAN-Name Check brings real benefits to the social domain: it prevents fraud and phishing, makes sure subsidies and other payments reach the right account, and flags invoices that look like they may be fake.

It also keeps you compliant with WAS during salary payments, and takes real work off HR's plate when processing large payment batches. SurePay is the market leader for this check in the Netherlands and the UK, and has helped municipalities and other (semi-)governmental bodies verify large volumes of payments, including COVID-19 support payments.

As a municipality, using IBAN-Name Check also means you automatically meet the mandatory fraud and continuity reporting requirements your auditor or accountant needs — the matching result itself serves as proof of compliance.

How it works

Checking is simple: enter the IBAN and the account holder's name (this works for both personal and business accounts), and SurePay verifies the details instantly. You'll get one of three results:

• Match — the details are correct.
• Close match — there may be a spelling error worth checking.
• No match — a warning sign of potential fraud, such as a false account number linked to a name.

Try it yourself

Run your checks easily through our portal for municipalities — just enter a name and account number, and see the result immediately. Sign up for a 14-day free trial to see how it works.