Mounties are a reminder to business owners to beware of a scam widespread in the Central Okanagan.
The Kelowna RCMP urges the local business community to guard against cyber fraud in which a criminal attacks a company and takes advantage of an existing relationship with a supplier, wholesaler or contractor.
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“An employee in the finance department of your company receives an email specially addressed to him. The email will be from the cybercriminal but looks like it came from another company you do business with, ”RCMP said in a press release, explaining that the technique is known as spear phishing.
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“The criminal will ask for your company’s direct deposit form if they change their banking information, or they will have a fake invoice in the payment request email and it will contain account information to send the payment to. When your company pays the bill or makes the next scheduled payment, the money will be transferred to the criminal’s bank account. “
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How to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:
- Be careful if you come across these types of emails or the like.
- Contact the company directly to ensure that this is actually from them.
- Do not use the phone numbers or email addresses included in the email you received as this will only get you to the cybercriminal.
If you think you have already fallen victim to this scam:
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- Report it to your local police
- Contact Equifax Canada (1-800-465-7166) or TransUnion Canada (1-877-525-3823)
For more information on this and other common fraud cases, visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center website at antifraudcentre.ca
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