(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Abu Dhabi Police have warned local businesses of a surge in international hacking and stealing money through fraudulent means after hacking correspondence related to confidential transactions.
The Abu Dhabi Police emphasised the need to combat such attacks by raising social awareness and professional insight. Moreover, it urged businesses to use safe and modern protection software, and abstain from sending business correspondence using personal e-mail accounts that could be easily hacked.
Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Colonel Dr. Rashid Borshid said hackers stole users' private data to get details and due dates of financial claims between internationally contracting parties. "This would allow them to find fraudulent means to have the assets transferred to the hackers' account under new bank account numbers."
He said some international gangs located outside the UAE had been creating fake accounts for foreign businesses, redirecting UAE-based firms to their sites. "These gangs call on local businesses to pay their dues using the same administrative and electronic style, providing new bank account numbers other than the ones agreed upon between both parties, under the pretext of an error or a change in the previously approved bank account number."
Borshid called on all businesses not to solely rely on routine electronic correspondence for their transactions and payments, particularly when the other party unexpectedly provides new bank account numbers.
He stressed the need to call the contracting party or the exporting company to validate the change in bank account numbers. Furthermore, he urged businesses to dispatch delegates or accountants to the party concerned to verify, particularly when it comes to major financial payments.
Borshid cited two recent incidents, which occurred within a short period apart. A restaurant and a building material company fell prey to an electronic fraud, where they were duped into transferring $150,000 to a Europe-based gang, and $100,000 to a gang in East Asia, respectively.
"Preliminary investigations carried out by the Abu Dhabi Police into the first incident revealed that a hacking occurred in the user's e-mail. As a result, the gang learnt about the restaurant owner's wish to buy a new restaurant in Europe. They sent an e-mail with a fake request and signature to the restaurant owner's accountant (who has a power of attorney) in Abu Dhabi, asking him to transfer $150,000 in two payments to the seller's account. (Only) $40,000 was retrieved due to the quick notification and timely intervention of the police."
In the second case, Borshid indicated that the building material company's mail account was hacked. Upon discovering a due date of a business deal transaction, the international hacking gang members created a fake account and called on the company to transfer the due $100,000 to their bank account, claiming that the new bank account number was due to an error in the previously agreed upon data.
Borshid indicated that the Criminal Investigation Department, thanks to the efforts of its national experts, managed to locate the international hacking source.
Colonel Borshid called on local businesses to combat international hacking by using accredited and reliable anti-virus software, regularly change their passwords, and update secure operating systems and applications continuously.
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