Email fraudsters ‘duping’ inexperienced holiday staff

FRAUDSTERS are duping junior staff and holiday stand-ins into subscribing for bogus online business directories, the Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has warned.

Some 66% of ISME members have been targeted in the last 12 months, and e-fraud queries to its helpline are on the increase. It seems junior staff members are replying to emails requesting seemingly innocuous company information. In replying, they are often unknowingly committing to fees of up to €999 to include their company’s details in an unwanted online directory.

ISME chief executive, Mark Fielding, explains: “There’s always a surge in this kind of activity at this time of year, scams trying to take advantage of inexperienced holiday staff. These enquiries seem quite professional. They include some details about the company, and ask you to fill in a few missing details, probably in block capitals.