Scam Alert: Increase in Remote Access Scams Targeting Businesses
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has alerted the Independent Garage Association (IGA) to an increasing number of businesses falling victim to an online banking scam.
According to the CTSI, businesses may be contacted by a fraudster who will try to convince the business to login to their online bank whilst a fraudster has remote access to their computer.
Based on analysis of crime reports by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, the CTSI has advised that scammers will generally use the following tactic to target businesses:
- Contact the victim claiming to be a representative from their bank or from a financial services vendor used by the victim’s business.
- Convince the victim to install a piece of software that enables remote access to their computer, claiming that it’s required to install an important software update.
- At some point during the call, the victim is instructed to login to their online banking account. Once the victim has done this, the remote access software is used to blur the victim’s screen whilst the scammer makes fraudulent transactions from the victim’s account without their knowledge.
- The victim is also asked to read out a series of numbers the scammer claims they have sent to the victim’s mobile. In reality, the numbers are a one-time verification code from the victim’s bank which, if shared with the scammer, will allow them to transfer money out of the victim’s bank account.
The CTSI has advised that some victims reported a slightly different account of how the scam was perpetrated. However, the goal of the scammers usually remains the same – to convince victims to login to their online banking account whilst the scammer has remote access to their computer.
You can read more about this scam and how to protect your business here.
If you receive a similar call, you can contact your bank with the number on the back of your card to confirm that it is a scam, report it to your local police department, or contact Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or filling in an online report via their website here.
Please also let the IGA know if you have been targeted by this scam so we can make other members aware, by calling the IGA Direct Member Helpline on 01788 225 908 or emailing enquiries@rmif.co.uk.