Fake email invoices cost businesses $20k

Consumer Protection has issued an urgent warning after three businesses, one in the South West, lost a total of $20,000 to a fake invoice sting.

In the three cases, email invoices to the businesses’ clients were intercepted and had their bank accounts changed so the funds were directed into the wrong accounts.

Consumer Protection commissioner Anne Driscoll urged businesses to be on alert for invoice fraud by double checking if bank account details were changed by regular suppliers.

“Sending a confirmation of any changes to the supplier’s original email address on file, or calling them on known phone numbers, can alert them that fraudsters may be trying to intercept the payments,” she said.

“Don’t rely on contact information contained in the suspect invoice as these may also be fake.”

The fake invoices were sent from email addresses closely resembling the legitimate addresses of the businesses targeted.

A Harvey business was one of the victims, when an invoice worth more than $5000 was intercepted between two local businesses and changed.