Peel Regional Police have arrested a 33-year-old Toronto resident in connection with a spear-fishing scam. Good Shepherd of Hamilton, Ontario was the victim of fraud in this incident.
Investigators said Good Shepherd received invoices for work from a known contractor. The contractor’s business email was compromised and appeared to be genuine online contract information.
According to Peel Regional Police, Good Shepherd was asked to deposit the $94,000 owed into another bank account. But after coming to their notice that the contractor was not accepting the fund, they informed the police. Then the investigation began.
Authorities arrested 33-year-old Emmanuel Poby on Sept. 29 in connection with the incident. He has been charged with possession of proceeds of crime. The accused will be produced in court later.
In light of this incident, a spokesman for the Peel Regional Police urged all establishments to check their payment changes and be vigilant about bank account numbers. He also suggested verifying the identity of those accepting the payment.
Spear phishing is a type of phishing attack, which is carried out through malicious emails aimed at an individual or organization. Its purpose is to steal sensitive information like login credentials or damage the target device with malware.
Good Shepherd offers multiple services. Among them is the provision of emergency food and clothing and daily fresh food. The organization also provides shelter to individuals and families in emergency situations.
