Evansville Police & Better Business Bureau Warn of Latest Phone and Business Email Scams

The Evansville Police Department has issued a warning for residents in the area of not one, but two different scams that are being used by criminals.

Phony Phone Calls

One of the scams the Evansville Police are warning against is taking place over the phone. They say criminals are posing as a representative of the Evansville Police Foundation and soliciting for money. While the Evansville Police Foundation is a very real local organization, the EPD says the foundation does not have anyone from the organization making phone calls to ask for donations.

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Business Email Compromise

Evansville Police, along with the Better Business Bureau, are warning of an internet scam involving company emails that appear to come from company executives. They say criminals will often pose as company CEOs, owners, or managers.

In this scam, fraudsters posing as company executives (CEOs, business owners, branch managers) are targeting payroll and invoice representatives asking them to send over employee information, to pay alleged outstanding bills or to transfer (“wire”) money to them. The emails look official at a first glance, with scammers going as far as copying official logos, colors, and even the real names of the executives they are impersonating. Other times, the scammer claims to be a third-party vendor requesting payment for bogus products and services.

Fighting Back Against Scammers

The Better Business Bureau and the Evansville Police Department have a number of recommendations to fight back against scammers utilizing fraudulent emails. They recommend that businesses utilize a number of technological precautions including multifactor authentication. They also recommend implementing protocols to confirm requests, as well as increasing employee cyber security training. If you have been impacted by one of the Business Compromise Email scams, or to learn more, you can visit the Evansville Police Department Facebook page.

[Source: Evansville Police Department via Facebook]