Is this payment request genuine?
Updated 2 min read
It's genuine if your agent confirms they sent it. Check with your agent before you pay, by phone on a number you already have: from your agency agreement, the agency's website or a sign, never from the email itself. Payment-redirection scams copy real emails, so a quick call is the safest check.
What a genuine request looks like
- The email comes from VPA Connect, at a vpaconnect.com.au address. It names your agent, your agency and your property address.
- The link opens a page at vpaconnect.com.au showing your property, your name, and each item of marketing with its supplier and amount. Your agent can tell you what to expect before you open it.
- On your first visit, you're asked to confirm you appointed the agency before you see the proposal (see Your campaign payment page). If you haven't appointed that agency, stop there.
- Bank transfer details appear only on your payment page, after you choose Pay Now by EFT. The account name is STRIPE PAYMENTS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, and the payment reference is unique to your campaign. VPA Connect never emails you bank details to pay into.
- Card payments happen on Stripe's secure page, at checkout.stripe.com, which opens from your payment page.
- Pay Later applications come from Campaign Flow, and only after you choose Pay Later on your payment page.
Warning signs
Don't pay, and call your agent, if:
- an email or text asks you to pay into an account that isn't shown on your payment page
- someone says the bank details have changed
- the page asks for a password, or for a code sent to your phone
- the property address or the agent's name is wrong
- you're rushed to pay before you can check
If you've already paid and you're worried, contact your bank straight away, then your agent.
Common questions
Who is VPA Connect? VPA Connect is the platform your agency uses to collect the money for your property's marketing, hold it while the work is done, and pay each supplier. Stripe, a payments company, holds the money. See How VPA Connect works.
Why is the bank account in Stripe's name? Stripe holds your marketing money for the campaign until each supplier is paid. The account details are set up for you, and the payment reference is how Stripe matches your transfer to it.
Why wasn't VPA Connect in my agency agreement? Ask your agent. Your agency chose VPA Connect to collect and hold the marketing money, and your agent can explain how it fits with your agreement and price list.