Northern beaches tradie loses $130,000 to hacker while many others are targeted

Police are hunting sophisticated con artists who are hacking into email accounts to steal tens of thousands of dollars from northern beaches’ tradies and small businesses.

Con artists are targeting tradies on the northern beaches. Picture: Lukas Coch

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Police are hunting hi-tech con artists hacking into email accounts to steal tens of thousands of dollars from northern beaches’ tradies and small businesses.

One tradie from North Curl Curl discovered this week he was stripped of close to $130,000 after he was tricked, by a string of fake invoices, into transferring money to a dodgy bank account.

Another business at Dee Why lost $30,000 and a tradie at Brookvale was snipped for $1400 to similar scams last week.

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The elaborate cons involve crooks hijacking a business’s email account and then sending fake invoices to the business’s customers.

The customers then end up sending payments to bank accounts controlled by the scammers.

Northern Beaches Police said the North Curl Curl tradie received two invoices in late January — one from a legitimate home building company he had been dealing with and the second from a fraudulent account.

Both included invoices which looked identical except for different bank account details.

The tradie transferred two instalments of $50,000 and $50,000 to the new account set up by the crooks.

Northern beaches police are on the hunt for hi-tech con artists after several scams. Picture: Damian Hofman

The elaborate cons involve crooks hijacking a business’s email account and then sending fake invoices.

The scammers followed up each payment with a confirmation of receipt email which included pressure for the account to be finalised as soon as possible.

The 39-year old tradie then sent the outstanding $29,283.75 to the new account.

On Monday, the legitimate company contacting the tradie to ask why he had not paid his account.

Chief Inspector Craig Thorp said thieves relied on business operators not thoroughly checking and querying the invoices they received.

“Unfortunately, we live in a world with dishonest people,” Insp Thorp said.

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“We ask if people do seek funds from you, make sure you check you are dealing with the right people.

“We have had a number of elaborate hoaxes and scams set up to steals people’s money.

“If you are not sure about an invoice, don’t pay it until you are sure.”

Insp Thorp urged business people who received emails requesting payment of invoices into a new back account, to take the time to ring the company and check.

“If you have suspicions please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

The Northern Beaches Police Area Command Facebook page has received posts from other business owners who managed to avoid being ripped off.

“This happened to us with building our granny flat,” one woman said. “We received a progress payment but the bank account was different. So luckily my husband rang to check and it was a scam.”

Another local said: “We were nearly scammed as well but we luckily phoned the company we were dealing with to check about the change in details. The email address was different by only one letter and the logos etc were identical. Always phone to confirm”

A business owner wrote: “Dee Why police looking into my case at the moment. My email hacked and hacker scammed my client by changing business invoice. Change your email passwords people.”