News Release
Official News Release
The Abbotsford Police Department is warning the public of an email scam targeting businesses.
The AbbyPD are investigating two incidents where fraudsters emailed two large-sized companies and requested they pay their invoices by way of an e-transfers. The fraudsters used an email address very similar to a legitimate company, but the spelling of the company was off by one letter, easily missed during daily transactions. The clients e-transferred the funds to the fraudster’s account. The legitimate businesses were not involved and did not receive money owed, resulting in the clients being out the funds that were e-transferred.
Though this is not a new fraud, other jurisdictions across Canada have had similar frauds involving large-sized businesses.
What to do if you encounter a suspicious circumstance:
- Be vigilant and do not provide any money, financial, or personal information until you have verified the legitimacy of the person or the company they claim to represent. To determine the legitimacy, contact the company directly.
- Check the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for information on current scams.
- Call your local police agency if you've lost money or your identity has been compromised because of a fraud.
You can report a scam where you have not been a victim to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
AbbyPD file 2021-27144
Sgt Judy Bird
Relief Media Relations Officer
[email protected]