How to avoid scams and scams online
Avoid scams and scams online with these cybersecurity tips.
Problem solved, USA TODAY
A police investigation has begun after a scammer posing as a construction company defrauded the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, out of $1.2 million.
Fort Lauderdale Police Department spokeswoman Ari Adamson said on Sept. 14 that the city received what appeared to be a legitimate invoice from Moss Construction, which is building a new police station in the coastal city north of Miami. The article stated that he paid that amount on the day. statement.
The invoice was found to be fraudulent within a day.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind our community to use caution when fulfilling payment requests and to remain vigilant for potential fraud,” she said in a statement.
Adamson told USA TODAY that the Fort Lauderdale Police Department is working with appropriate law enforcement agencies to “determine exactly what happened,” but added further details, including where the money was sent. was not disclosed.
What is phishing?
of US Federal Trade Commission defines phishing An online scam that targets individuals, businesses, and agencies through messages sent via email, text, or direct message that appear to come from a trusted source. Phishing messages typically request personally identifying information, which is then used to compromise existing accounts.
In what is commonly referred to as spear phishing, attackers may use information about a company and its employees to make their message more convincing and realistic. According to the UK-based National Cyber Security Center.
More than 4.7 million phishing attacks were recorded last year. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group.
The city wants the money back.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told news outlets the city is trying to get the money back.
the mayor said WSVN The scam “wasn’t just an email saying, ‘Hello, I’m Moss Construction.’ Send me $1.2 million,” complete documentation and multiple documents were submitted. ”
“It’s $144 million, so they’re in full construction mode. So it would have been consistent with the practices we’ve been following,” Trantalis told the outlet while referring to Moss’ large-scale building project. told.
Scott Wyman, Trantalis’ chief of staff, said Trantalis was out of town and unavailable for comment Monday.
‘Proactive measures’ were taken after previous phishing scam
This is not the first attack on the city, but it is the first to be successful.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Fort Lauderdale City Manager Greg Chavarria said Fort Lauderdale has been the target of phishing scams in the past and is “taking proactive steps to mitigate such risks.” We have taken measures.” However, he did not go into any detail about security practices previously established to protect against such scams.
Chavarria declined to make “specific comments” about the incident “for the time being.”
“This incident is currently under active investigation. The Police Department is working with various agencies and resources to uncover the truth,” the city administrator wrote.
It added: “This is an important reminder that anyone can become a victim of fraud and we all must do everything we can to protect ourselves.” added.
Moss Construction said in a statement to USA TODAY that “bad actors took advantage of our good name and reputation to attempt to defraud us.”
“They found some common information that you would normally find in an online search and used it as part of a phishing attempt,” the statement said. “This incident is being actively investigated by law enforcement.”
How to avoid being scammed
To avoid falling victim to phishing scams, Federal Trade Commission It suggests that people use security software on their devices, update their phone software as much as possible, and regularly back up their data.
If you receive a suspicious email, check it for typos and verify that the sender is who they say they are. Signs that may cause concern include messages that include a generic greeting, messages that say your account is on hold due to billing issues, and messages that prompt you to click a link.
The FTC also encourages people to report phishing scams at: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.