Perth County OPP are warning residents of a phishing type fraud that recently occurred in the Municipality of North Perth.
Police say an employee received an email that appeared to come from the owner of the business, which asked the employee to send a significant amount of money with an electronic funds transfer.
Following the transfer, the employee spoke to the owner and it became apparent the transaction was fraudulent.
An investigation later determined that the email address that this request came from was similar, but different than the owner's actual email address.
Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from a similar incident:
- 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.
