How Järfälla Municipality strengthened its internal control and stopped fraudulent invoices with Betalkontroll

Background

Järfälla Municipality is an expanding municipality in Stockholm County. Rapid population growth and urban development place high demands on the municipality's organization and administrative structures. 

With around 4,400 employees and approximately 150,000 payments per year, Järfälla Municipality is a large organization with many suppliers, administrations, and payment flows. This complexity requires robust and efficient financial processes to ensure the secure, accurate, and sustainable management of public funds. 

Challenge – preventing fraudulent invoices and reducing organizational risk

Jahan Hashemi, accounts payable manager and internal controller, plays a central role in this work. His mission is to streamline accounts payable, secure payment flows, and strengthen internal control throughout the organization. 

As Jahan himself describes it: 

“Large organizations are more vulnerable. There are more people involved, and sometimes the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.” 

The municipality was already well aware of the risks associated with fraudulent invoices and scams. At the same time, much of the control work was done manually, which made the process both time-consuming and vulnerable in a growing organization. 

Suppliers had to be sought out and verified, documentation was handled manually, and system support for detecting duplicates or discrepancies was limited. 

A supplier arrangement could take 5–10 minutes, and during periods of high workload, both the time required and the risk of errors increased, especially in stressful situations or when staff were absent. 

At the same time, the municipality wanted to ensure that the dual control principle was followed, that no single person could control the entire chain, and that internal control was clear and traceable for auditing purposes. 

“When you are alone and stressed, you can make mistakes. A lot can happen.” 

The need was clear: a more systematic and secure approach to preventing fraudulent invoices and reducing organizational risk. 

Solution – system support covering the entire accounts payable ledger

To meet the need for a more secure and efficient payment process, the Municipality of Järfälla began a partnership with Betalkontroll two years ago. Through these services Transaction Analysis, Vendor Verification and integration with the municipality’s ERP system, Raindance , automated checks could be built into the entire payment chain. 

The implementation is described as quick and smooth, with close cooperation and ongoing dialogue between the municipality and Betalkontroll's team. 

“What I like is that Betalkontroll adapts to the customer – not the other way around.” 

Payment control is currently used as a system support that strengthens the process from initial supplier setup to final payment. The solution includes: 

• control at supplier premises 

• automatic detection of fraudulent invoices and duplicates 

• verification of F-tax, sanctions lists, company status, etc.  

• support for the dual control principle and traceability 

Järfälla Municipality works with a central accounts payable system, where the flow is now secured through both internal procedures and Betalkontroll's automated verifications. 

“We have taken on almost the entire chain – from setup to ongoing monitoring to payment. Now we are involved in the entire process.” 

Results – Time savings, security, and stronger internal control

With Betalkontroll, Järfälla Municipality has streamlined its accounts payable and strengthened control throughout the payment chain. 

Checks that previously took up to 1.5 hours are now completed in approximately 20 minutes. In 2025, fraudulent invoices amounting to up to SEK 35,000, along with a large number of duplicate payments. 

Thanks to the integration with Raindance , new suppliers can now be set up and approved in just a few minutes, compared to the previous 5–10 minutes per setup. At the same time, discrepancies are detected automatically, providing improved traceability for audits. 

The process is now technically secure and less dependent on individuals, which creates greater control and a safer working environment. 

When Jahan is asked what he would say to an organization considering working with Betalkontroll, his answer is clear: 

“It’s a good system, cost-effective and suitable for both small and large organizations.” 

Today, Järfälla Municipality recommends Betalkontroll to other municipalities and organizations regardless of size.