A business email compromise (BEC) fraud is an online scam where the scammer impersonates a business representative and tricks you into transferring money or sensitive information. The scammer impersonates a trusted person using an email that is almost identical to the trusted person’s name, or a domain that is identical to the name of the trusted person’s company. The scammer sends a legitimate message to you requesting money or sensitive information.
These include:
Executive fraud: The scammer masquerades an executive’s email address and then sends a message to staff in your business directing them to transfer funds to the scammer’s account.
Invoice fraud: The scammer masquerades as a trusted supplier and sends a fake invoice to your business. In these scams, the scammer often has control of the supplier’s email account and can access legitimate invoices. The scammer changes these invoices to include new bank account details and then sends the invoices to customers from the supplier’s email account.
We encourage you to print for this Infographic for your own use as well as to place as a poster at your place of work. As always we thank the e-Skills Malta Foundation for the Infographic and their contribution to the ĠEMMA tips.
If you believe that you have uncovered a scam or you were the target victim of one, ĠEMMA advises you to report this. Do not let the scammer get away with it. Remember that there are vulnerable people who may not have the knowledge you have and may be at a high risk of being scammed unless the scam is stopped.
Contact the Malta Police Force’s Cyber Crime Unit as follows:
Online: [email protected]
Telephone: +356 2294 2231/2.
In person: Call or visit any Police District station and lodge a report. The District Police Officer will request the assistance of a member from the Cyber Crime Unit as required