An RCMP warning about a recurring email fraud scheme.
Police say scam artists are impersonating business vendors or clients using email addresses that appear to be authentic.
Businesses are asked to change banking or contact information for clients or customers, and then payment requests are made.
Once the payments or goods are sent, it’s revealed that no legitimate request was made from the vendor or client.
RCMP say this tactic, known as spoofing, involves just subtle differences such as a single altered letter, added space, or punctuation mark, which makes it difficult to identify fraudulent emails. This type of fraud can result in significant financial losses for businesses.
RCMP is offering these tips on how to protect your business:
- Always verify requests to change payment or banking information by contacting the company directly using previously known contact details.
- Carefully examine email addresses for subtle differences.
- Be cautious of urgent or unexpected payment requests.
- Implement strict internal verification procedures for financial transactions.
The RCMP encourages any business that believes it has been targeted or victimized by this type of fraud to report the incident to their local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
