2023-06-15 21:03:00
For many years, a managing director of a trading company from the Wels-Land district had maintained a business relationship with an Indonesian supplier. This spring, this was put to the test by fraudsters.
After they managed to hack the business partners’ e-mail traffic, they sent fake messages to both addresses. The Upper Austrian managing director then transferred a total of 90,000 US dollars (around 83,000 euros) to a third-party account in three tranches. The fraud only came to light following the Upper Austrian had received neither a shipping confirmation for the containers he had ordered nor any feedback.
It all started with what later turned out to be a fake e-mail telling the Upper Austrian that the address of his Indonesian supplier had changed. After he had in good faith paid the invoices for two containers of goods that he had ordered into the supposedly new business account, the Indonesian supplier also received a fake message: It said that the money had already been credited to his account.
Gerald Sakoparnig, head of the fraud department at the State Criminal Police Office, urges caution.
Neither private individuals are immune from fraudsters on various Internet platforms or on WhatsApp, nor are business people, as he says: “It’s important to be sensitive. Especially if you find out by contacting us that the data of the business partner is said to have changed.” He advises asking before making a transfer.
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