Regina police warn of email scam targeting local businesses

An email scam defrauding Regina businesses has been on the rise over the past few months, according to Regina police.

“Several Regina businesses have fallen victim to this scam in the past six months, and as a result, were defrauded thousands of dollars,” shared Regina police in a statement.

Police say fraudsters target the business during a payment transaction with another business.

Initial email communication is legitimate, however, police say the email transaction can be intercepted.

“This is when the scammer will make slight changes to email addresses and account payment information – often so subtle that they go unnoticed,” Regina police said.

2:23 “The scams are extremely sophisticated,” the Better Business Bureau releases its top scams of 2020, many fueled by pandemic

Regina police have provided a list of tips to raise awareness on this issue:

• Be wary of last-minute email account address changes
• Be wary of last-minute changes to account payments.
• Always check the details of email addresses for subtle changes
• Before sending large sums of money, it is best to confirm the details over the phone to ensure you have accurate information

Police say the scam also shows up in several other forms. More information on this is available at the Regina Police Service’s website.

Any businesses that have fallen victim to this scam or other fraud attempts are asked to call Regina police.