Gardaí have issued a warning to businesses in relation to a scam involving fraudulent purchase order emails.
Companies are being targeted by fraudsters who attempt to obtain equipment from suppliers by providing them with fraudulent purchase orders.
The scam involves an email being sent to a supplier requesting a quotation for specific items of equipment, often medical or IT equipment, a spokesman for the Garda said.
The order is often in large quantities and of high value. Once the quotation has been provided, a purchase order is emailed to the supplier, which resembles an authentic purchase order of the relevant company.
The purchase order typically instructs delivery to an address not affiliated with the company. After shipping the items of equipment, the supplier does not receive payment and is unable to retrieve the shipped products.
The Garda said business owners should be vigilant of the scam, and to look out for incorrect domain names that are used to send emails and purchase orders.
The majority of Irish email addresses will always end in @company name.ie. An example of an incorrect domain being used in these fraudulent emails is @company name.com.
Fraudulent addresses
Another sign of fraud is if the delivery address is not the purchasing company’s address. Fraudulent addresses will typically be a domestic residence or a self-storage facility, often based in Dublin, or other locations nowhere near the company ordering the goods.
The Garda also advised businesses to be wary of poorly written emails with grammatical errors. These “are always a sign” of a suspicious email.
Furthermore, unusually large quantities being requested, a rush to ship the items, and the use of false or unknown contacts represent red flags.
If requests are received from an unknown company or it you receive contact that raises suspicions, the Garda is encouraging businesses to contact the company directly to verify the validity of the request.
Do not contact the name or number used on the email or purchase order. “Fraudulent emails may contain seemingly legitimate contact information so it is important to look for other signs,” said the spokesman.
“If you are unsure about a quotation request sent by email, or the subsequent purchase order, please contact the company for confirmation of its legitimacy.
“Report suspicious emails. If you have received any suspicious emails please forward them to legitimate company and contact An Garda Síochána.”
