Warning on AI receipts

A cybersecurity expert warns that AI chatbots can forge receipts, challenging how companies approve and reimburse expenses.

AI receipts threaten expense controls and internal fraud checks

AI tools are being used to create fake receipts that look like real business transactions, a cybersecurity expert warns. Finance teams often rely on uploaded receipts and quick approvals, making it possible for convincing forgeries to slip through when managers review dozens of claims. In a test, a £38.20 Starbucks receipt was produced that could mislead many readers into believing the purchase happened. The risk grows as AI can generate convincing documents in seconds, while busy staff may miss subtle errors.

Experts urge practical steps to blunt the threat, such as using company credit cards to limit reimbursements, tightening verification rules, and cross-checking vendor details and VAT numbers. They also call for broader awareness training so employees look for telltale signs like misaligned formatting or unusual vendors, and for tighter internal controls to monitor spending in real time.

The incident shows a broader shift in fraud risk: AI lowers the bar for wrongdoing and speeds up the process, turning scams into a routine, low-friction activity. That shift changes how companies must think about controls, audits, and vendor verification. It also highlights a tension between the ease of technology and the need for robust defenses in everyday workflows.

To respond, firms should combine simple fixes with long term policy changes. Practical steps include mandating corporate cards for most purchases, instituting stricter receipt validation, and building automated checks for VAT numbers and vendor legitimacy. At a higher level, regulators and insurers may take renewed interest as AI-enabled fraud becomes harder to spot and more costly to ignore.

Highlights

Staying vigilant means building checks that match the speed of AI fraud.