FBI warns businesses about corporate account take overs

The FBI has issued a fraud advisory to warn businesses about the various bank fraud scams currently employed. Created by financial institutions, industry trade associations, Federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies, it explains how this attacks are usually executed.

These so called “corporate account take overs” are rising in numbers, because cyber criminals have found them rather easy to perpetrate – especially when it comes to small business that don’t have a dedicated IT staff that could detect the fraud in time. The rewards are great – often surpassing hundreds of thousands of dollars – and the risk is low.

The FBI warns about unsolicited e-mails purportedly coming from delivery services, financial institutions, the IRS, the Better Business Bureau, Federal courts, and even from compromised e-mail accounts of other employees or executives of the firm. They urge people to be wary of attachments seemingly containing PDFs or various MS Office files, since they are usually constructed in such a way to allow them to exploit a vulnerability within the system.

The FBI also offers a bevy of tips for protecting oneself, detecting these attacks and responding to them. They urge business owners to educate their employees and themselves, to strengthen the security of the computers and of the corporate network, and that of the corporate banking processes.

They advise an everyday check of corporate accounts and being on the lookout for warning signs. If suspicious activity is detected, they encourage an immediate interruption of online activity and reporting the potential problem to immediate superiors, to the financial institution and to the police.

For detailed advice and helpful links, business owners are advised to examine carefully the advisory.