Scammers tricked Calgary businesses out of $1.7M this year, police say
The Calgary Police Service is reaching out to businesses after a disturbing increase in the amount of money that's been taken through phishing scams so far this year.
Officials say seven businesses have reported a combined loss of $1.7 million because of fraudulent invoices that were sent to them and unknowingly paid by staff members.
Police say the scam is difficult to detect because criminals often pose as actual staff members or senior employees in order to gain access to the information they need.
"Typically, employees working in payroll or accounts payable departments are contacted by someone via email who is believed to be an employee requesting changes to direct deposit information," police said in a release.
"Once the information has been changed, employee paycheques or company invoices are then unknowingly deposited into fraudulent accounts."
That's not the only phishing method being used by fraudsters, police say.
In other cases, scammers pose as an employee's supervisor, using an email address that's very similar to the actual one, and request them to send funds to a specific address via e-transfer or by a pre-paid gift card.
Authorities say this method can lead to illegitimate access to company accounts, calendars and confidential data.
Police say there are a number of things businesses can do in order to protect themselves:
- Look at email addresses on requests and compare them to legitimate accounts in the company;
- Verify payments before sending them – either in-person or by calling them on the phone;
- Watch out for suspicious payment methods, such as through pre-paid gift cards or e-transfers; and
- Never click on any unsolicited links and ignore pressure tactics used by scammers.
Police say businesses should also consider extra security measures for accounts, such as setting up two-factor authentication, a procedure that requires a user to present two different ways to access sensitive information.
They add the best way to stop scams is to report them when they happen.
"The Calgary Police Service encourages anyone who has suffered a financial loss as a result of fraud to report it to police by calling the non-emergency number at 403-266-1234," police said.
Any business or individual who receives a fraudulent text message, email or phone call but have not lost any money is encouraged to make a report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.