Victoria police are warning members of community organizations to be aware of potential “phishing” email fraud attempts. The warning comes after several Victoria community associations were targeted this week
The latest round of phishing emails attempted to exploit the publicly-available contact information for board and other staff members. In one attempt, police say the scammers “spoofed” the email address and name of a treasurer, and directed another staff member to make an online payment. Luckily, members of this organization spotted the scam.
Police are asking members of community organizations to speak with their staff and colleagues about fraud and phishing style scams. They suggest enacting a policy to follow-up in person or over the phone for confirmation, and to also regularly review financial reports.
Anyone who has been part of a scam, or an attempted scam, can contact police at their non-emergency line at 250 995-7654.
For more information on phishing and other similar fraud attempts, you can visit vicpd.ca/fraud
