Meet the Fraudstars

Meet the Fraudstars – a crack-team of lookalike CEOs, enlisted by Get Safe Online and Lloyds Bank to show just how easy it can be to fall victim to impersonation fraud. Disguised as famous faces, this fraudulent-three demonstrate some of the most common methods of impersonation fraud, and how would-be victims can stop scammers in their tracks.

Want to learn more about impersonation fraud and how to protect yourself and your business? Click the video below to find out more:

Get Safe Online and Lloyds Bank, have commissioned research into the effect of impersonation fraud on SME businesses. The findings reveal:

Impersonation fraud is costing victims an average of £27,000 each time
The number of attacks has risen a huge 58 per cent in the past year alone
Over half (53 per cent) of respondents say they have experienced scammers posing as their boss, demonstrating a rise in the popularity of CEO impersonation fraud
A similar number (52 per cent) say they have experienced invoice fraud – a rising scam where fraudsters pose as known suppliers to the company and send an invoice with a false change of bank account details
Despite this, only 20 per cent of victims say they now think twice when receiving a request at work
Over a third (37 per cent) of employees don’t know or don’t have any security precautions in place

Hints and Tips

To protect yourself and your business from impersonation fraud, follow our top tips:

1. Be on your guard for payment requests that are unexpected or irregular, whatever the amount involved. This is a common tactic used by fraudsters

2. Always verify requests for changes to account details with the requesting organisation, using the phone number you know to be authentic, before making the payment or updating the details in your payments system

3. Email is not a secure method of communication. Genuine email trails can be hacked, and payment details changed. If you receive an instruction via email double- check: make a phone call, ask in person or use some other trusted communication, never use email to verify information

4. If a request for an irregular payment or amended payment details appears to come from a senior manager or other colleague, double check with them directly either in person on a number you know is authentic. If they are not available and the request calls for urgent action, check with another senior colleague

5. Beware – fraudsters can impersonate your bank, supplier or other trusted organisations by email, letters, phone or text. Always double check account details before you make a payment, and never reveal your passwords, confidential information or card and reader codes

Richard Scam-son

Impersonation – 3

Phone Manner – 10

Invoice Forgery – 9

Fraudstars ringleader Richard Scam-son, is the mastermind behind this crew of sneaky scammers; using a calm and collected phone manner to schmooze SMEs out of their hard-earned cash.

Karren Shady

Impersonation – 9

Phone Manner – 5

Invoice Forgery – 8

Scamming specialist Karren Shady, uses her speciality in forging emails and invoices to con businesses out of their funds, through fake requests to change bank details.

Gordon Sham-sey

Impersonation – 9

Phone Manner – 5

Invoice Forgery – 4

Unseasoned as a scammer, Gordon Sham-sey’s razor-sharp lookalike credentials can only get him so far in pretending to be the boss. By employing the impersonation fraudster’s kryptonite – double checking details – his scams can be foiled.