Police warned businesses and employees on Tuesday to guard against rising numbers of fraud involving compromised email accounts, known as Business Email Compromise (BEC).

The Cybercrime unit said attackers gain access to corporate emails or create near-identical addresses to impersonate trusted contacts and trick victims into transferring money.

Scammers often target staff who handle payments, sending convincing requests to change bank details or settle invoices.

Funds are then diverted to accounts controlled by criminals. Authorities said companies that rely on international wire transfers are particularly at risk.

Police urged businesses to train staff to recognise such scams and to introduce strict verification procedures for payment requests.

Employees should check any change in bank details directly with suppliers using known contact information, not the details provided in suspicious messages.

Firms are also advised to limit sensitive information shared online and review what is published about contracts and partners.

Police said vigilance and basic verification are the best defence against evolving email fraud targeting unsuspecting organisations.