Regardless of whether it is an international company, a small club or a medium-sized family business - criminals target all kinds of organizations in order to steal money. They pose as managers, chairmen, chairmen, chairmen or owners via WhatsApp and usually contact the right contact person. They will be asked to pay an invoice. If the person follows the instructions, the money is lost!

Fake payment requests via WhatsApp
Screenshot: Watchlist Internet

How does the scam work?

Criminals first collect information about the organization. Who is responsible for payments? Who has what permissions? Which signatures are used? Who communicates with whom?

These questions can often be answered through information on your own website. Sometimes criminals call and ask sophisticated questions to gain insight into internal processes or send banal inquiries. Criminals could also have accessed company information through data leaks.

With this knowledge, the criminals then pose as managers or those in charge and ask the responsible person for a transfer. Typically, these fraudulent payment requests are made via email .

Danger

Fraudulent emails mostly appear genuine because the email header has been manipulated!

WhatsApp messages are also possible. Below we have shown a chat history. Criminals pretended to be the president of a club and asked the cashier to settle a bill.  

Supposed club chair: Hello! Could you please pay a bill for €2556 from the club's treasury today? LG Tina

Club cashier: Sure. Can you please send me the invoice and account details? LG

Supposed club chairwoman: photo of the invoice

Supposed club chair: Account details are on the invoice. Please tell me when you have paid.

Protect yourself from fraudulent payment requests

Train your employees, club employees and those involved in cybersecurity. Use these tips to create awareness:

  • Check trustworthiness: Have you received a payment request? Check very carefully whether this request is genuine. Do you know the phone number? Was the email header possibly manipulated? Is it the usual way to communicate?
  • Question the usefulness: Does your managing director urgently need a lot of money? But you don't know of any outstanding payments or urgent business transactions? Rather, ask and contact the person as usual.
  • Don't let yourself be put under pressure: If a payment has to be made immediately, you should be careful. Criminals try to put pressure on you so that you don't have time to think about your action.
  • Trust your gut feeling: Does the request seem strange to you? Does your boss actually write differently? Are transfers made differently? Better not to act and ask for help!

Have you transferred?

  • Your money is most likely lost. Still, contact your bank and ask about options to get it back.
  • Report it to the police .

Source: Watchlist Internet

Also read:
WhatsApp: Phishing attacks and illegal data trading


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