(NORTH PERTH, ON) -Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wants to alert the public to a phishing type fraud that recently occurred in the Municipality of North Perth.
An employee received an email that appeared to come from owner of the business. The e mail asked the employee to send a significant amount of funds via electronic funds transfer. This was done and later the employee spoke to the owner and realized the transaction was fraudulent. Investigation later on determined that the email address that this request came from was different than the owner’s actual email address.
Fraudsters create email addresses that mimic that of the real ones.
Warning sign(s) – How to protect yourself
Beware of unsolicited emails from individuals or financial institutions presenting an urgent situation requiring immediate attention.
Prior to sending any funds or product, make contact with fellow staff members/ clients in person or by telephone to confirm that the request is legitimate.
Watch for spelling and formatting errors and be wary of clicking on any attachments, they can contain viruses and spyware.