Warning to Island businesses about invoice scam

Police on the Isle of Wight are reminding businesses to double check the details of payments to contractors.

Officers are investigating a report of obtaining by deception where someone pretending to be from a legitimate company sent an invoice to a business on the island.

Those responsible for the scam created an email address, headed letter and bank account, which appeared authentic to the business that was asked to pay. In this case, more than £200,000 was going to be paid to the fake contractor. Thankfully the payment was cancelled before the business lost any money.

Police are concerned because detectives are aware that this is not an isolated report. Similar scams have been reported in other parts of the country recently where criminals appear to have researched which businesses are using contractors in an attempt to impersonate them with bogus invoices designed to steal payments.

Our advice to businesses is to make extra checks on any invoices you receive, particularly any email addresses or other contact details.

Anyone with information or who thinks they have been targeted by this scam on the Isle of Wight is asked to contact CID at Newport Police Station by phoning 101. Mini-Com users can call the police on 01962 875000. Information can be given anonymously by calling the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.