$100K sent to wrong bank account in email scam: police

Police in B.C.’s Interior are again ringing the scam alarm bell after an alleged email scam involving $100,000.

In a complicated matter, Salmon Arm RCMP say they were contacted by a Blind Bay business owner earlier this month, on May 1, who said a client had transferred the money into a fraudulent bank account.

The money, two payments of $50,000 each, was supposed to be transferred into the business owner’s account.

2:05 Calgary senior calls out scammer impersonating loved one to get money

However, police say the client provided them with a statement saying he’d been in contact with the owner for two years via email.

“The client received an email and was informed they were closing their bank account and was provided new bank account information,” said police.

The two electronic transfers were made and a third was attempted, which led the client to contact the business owner.

“The business owner then learned of the emails the client had received which were not sent by anyone from the business and were fraudulent,” said police. “The bank has since frozen the account the payments were made to. The file remains under further investigation.”

1:32 How to spot fake texts as CRA, anti-fraud centre warn of rising scams

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has plenty of information on how to protect yourself or your business from scams.

“This type of fraud is becoming more common as the dollar amounts can be large, with the fraudsters potentially walking away with thousands of dollars,” said police. “While email or text communication is convenient, Salmon Arm RCMP recommend confirming payment information by speaking directly with the intended receiver, before making any large payments.”