A recent incident on the administrator.de forum highlights a concerning case of fraud involving SEPA mandates through sevdesk, an online accounting and invoicing solution provider. A company experienced unauthorized debits from their firm account totaling €2000 over several attempts, allegedly initiated by a fictitious entity without any business relationship with them.
The fraudulent nature of the transactions is evident in the fact that no legitimate SEPA mandate was ever signed for these charges. The IT employee involved reported that false names and addresses were used for each unauthorized withdrawal, raising questions about the security practices at sevdesk. Moreover, the company’s attempts to contact sevdesk regarding this issue reportedly faced significant hurdles due to a lack of customer identification and minimal cooperation from the service provider.
This case underscores potential vulnerabilities in digital payment systems when dealing with cloud-based solutions that handle sensitive financial information. It also brings into question the adequacy of current regulatory oversight for such platforms, especially concerning data protection and consumer rights. The transparency gap exhibited by sevdesk during this incident calls for a more proactive approach to addressing customer concerns.
The company in question has already filed a complaint with the police but faces continued challenges in obtaining clear information from sevdesk. This highlights the need for better communication channels between service providers, their clients, and law enforcement agencies when such incidents occur.
sevdesk: A Digital Solution Provider With Recent Concerns
sevdesk is described as an innovative provider of digital accounting and invoicing solutions tailored specifically to small businesses and freelancers in Germany and Austria. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Offenburg, the company has grown significantly under its current parent organization Cegid SA since February 2025. With a user base exceeding 130,000 customers across more than 100 industries, sevdesk aims to simplify financial management tasks such as invoicing, tax pre-calculation, and seamless cooperation with tax advisors.
However, recent reports indicate that sevdesk is facing significant challenges in handling customer complaints effectively. Issues range from difficulties in canceling subscriptions and obtaining refunds to alleged misuse of services for fraudulent activities. These concerns suggest a need for improved security measures and clearer communication strategies to regain trust among its user community.
Similar questions
What is SEPA?
How does a SEPA mandate work?
Why were there unauthorized debits from the company’s account?
Who initiated these unauthorized transactions according to the report?
Did the involved company have any business relationship with the entity that made the charges?
What security measures should sevdesk have in place to prevent such frauds?
How did sevdesk respond when contacted about this issue by the affected company?
Why is regulatory oversight important for cloud-based financial platforms?
What challenges does the company face while dealing with sevdesk regarding this incident?
What steps has the affected company taken to address this fraudulent activity?