A circulating business email compromise scam has prompted Kelowna RCMP to issue an alert for local businesses.
According to Mounties, the scam sees cybercriminals target businesses with existing relationships with suppliers, wholesalers or contractors. Criminals will email an employee in the business’s financial department, posing as one of the company’s partners.
The cyber con artist will then ask for the company’s direct deposit form, acting as if they are changing their banking information. A fake invoice may also be included in the email, where they ask for payment and include their account information detailing where to send the payment to.
“When your company pays the invoice or does the next scheduled payment, the money will be deposited into the criminal’s bank account,” said Kelowna RCMP.
Authorities provided the following tips to avoid falling victim to this scam:
- Be diligent when encountering these types of emails.
- Make direct contact with the company to ensure the requests are actually coming from them.
- Avoid using the phone numbers or email addresses that are included in the email received, as this will just lead you to the cyber-criminal.
Anyone who falls victim to this scam is asked to call the police, and contact Equifax Canada (1-800-465-716) and TransUnion Canada (1-877-525-3823).
More information regarding this scam can be found on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website at antifraudcentre.ca
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@aaron_hemens
aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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