SCAM - Fraud

[umesh 336]

Just spotted this article / warning on ATM Community - just in case some might not have seen it ! Not sure how this can happen but obviously a big concern for all

. 

"Anonymous - December 2013

 

SCAM: Wanted to let everyone know, so hopefully nobody else gets stung. We have been "scammed" via the internet this week, to the tune of £49,000. The scam goes as follows:
We bought 3 vans off genuine suppliers, over the phone and by email. They then emailed us an invoice & bank details for payment. In between the email leaving the supplier's computer, & arriving in ours, the bank details have been changed.
If you email the supplier to ask if it's right that the bank details have changed, the "scammer" emails you back (as them) saying its correct.
We've lost £49,000 this week. The bank doesn’t want to know, as our bank is secured, we've basically just paid the "wrong" people.
Local police not interested, pass you onto the National Fraud Team, who are dealing with 2000 of these per day.
Please share so nobody else out there gets scammed."

[James Baggott 227]

Thanks for posting this Umesh. Very worrying indeed. I've moved the topic into this forum as it's the place for warnings on scams and alerts on stolen vehicles.

I'll share this via our Twitter account too. Thanks for sharing.

[TheCarCo 1]

I don't really see how something like this could happen.

 

Sounds to me like someone from the seller's company has amended the bank details before sending the e-mail. And unless you have wired the money to an account outside of the UK, tracking the recipient should be relatively easy.

 

In any case, it's rather alarming!

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

If true its has to be an inside job. Details of an invoice can't change once sent unless it was originaly sent to the scammer address. A simple check of the selling dealerships emails would prove this.  If the email has changed its an inside job.

 

A few simple checks and the police would be interested because a crime has been committed.

[Ian 15]

Seems well dodgy to me.

[AmeerReed 0]

Thanks for the warning! Appreciate it very much! Been paranoid about this things lately lol

[metcars 397]

It seems to me that the banks are softening us up in preparation for "a cashless society" and are doing whatever they can to promote electronic payment etc. Easy when they are not responsible for providing 'security'?

[Trident 24]

From what little i know, the scammer intercepts the emails before you receive it, they effectively divert all emails at source, ammend the bank details then forward on as if nothing has happened, all appears a genuine email from a trusted supplier, who is non the wiser they have been intercepted, until of course they chase for a payment you have already sent.  It has been very effective fraud with solicitors amongst others, never receiving property deposits or balances!... not sure how you can prevent it other than have a manual list of bank details on your desk that you check everytime you send a payment!! scary stuff, no matter how vigilant you are...

 

[umesh 336]

Difficult , so not always to trust emails / send details in different emails AND to speak to people before sending money just to be sure! I Too have heard of big property transactions where emails have been redirected etc and accounts changed - lots of money gone to wrong place !!

Just got to double check and double check !  

[carpuss 0]

this is an old thread. I wonder if the same scam is still ongoing?