The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a warning about the rise in scams targeting businesses in Northeast Ohio. Scammers pose as senior officials within a company and defraud money.
These fraudsters are adept at manipulation. They usually make their initial contact via email or phone, tricking businesses into thinking they are dealing with an executive or department head. They then typically request immediate funds transfer under the guise of a business emergency.
One such scam saw a local business lose $492 after an employee was misled into thinking the company’s owners were in a legal dispute and needed urgent financial assistance. The worker was deceived into drawing money from the company’s account to send to the alleged lawyers. The scam was later discovered, but the money was not recoverable.
BBB alerts: Scam surge hitting Ohio businesses
As a result, the company had to update its security and employee training.
The scammers, pretending to be CEOs or top executives, claim that the owners are in a dire legal situation and need emergency funds, says Ericka Dilworth, the Operations Director at BBB. She warns businesses to be skeptical of such requests and report dubious transactions to local authorities.
The BBB reported a similar scam in North Ridgeville. Here, an email hoax targeted smaller businesses, luring them into buying non-existent advertising space in a fake local newspaper, causing significant loss.
The BBB stressed the importance of staff education and robust cybersecurity measures, as scammers often change their tactics. The BBB also emphasized the importance of investment in reliable security software and the development of an alert system.
Dilworth urges constant vigilance and detailed correspondence examination to sidestep such frauds. She also states the importance of continuous education and training for staff and maintaining a culture of open dialogue about potential risks. Last but not least, Dilworth stresses regular review and upgrade of security procedures and systems to effectively combat the latest fraudulent tactics.
