Limassol company loses €16,000 in online scam

A company in Limassol on Wednesday fell victim to an online scam of over €16,000.

According to a police report, an employee of the company disclosed that in December 2023, management entered into an agreement to purchase products from a foreign business with which they had been collaborating for several years.

A few days later, the company received an email appearing to be from the supplier, requesting an advance payment to a different bank account.

On December 22, the company proceeded to make the payment, but suspicions arose when the actual supplier informed them that unknown individuals had gained access to their email, advising not to consider any messages received.

After verifying that the company was defrauded of over €16,000, the Limassol CID started probing the case. No culprits, however, have yet been identified.

In light of the incident, the police reminded the public about the risks of online transactions and the need for utmost caution.

“It is advised that, in the event of receiving such messages, individuals verify the communication by contacting the sellers through the phone number previously used or indicated in prior exchanges,” the police statement said.

“For any such communication, it is crucial to use the telephone number established through prior legitimate contact or stated in previous correspondences.”