DARTMOUTH: The Nova Scotia RCMP’s Cybercrime Unit is alerting Nova Scotians to a growing cyberattack technique that has been observed across the province between March and October.
Investigators have identified a sharp increase in business email compromise (BEC) scams, where cybercriminals impersonate trusted business email accounts to deceive clients into sending payments to fraudulent bank accounts.
“Scammers create a fake but convincing email address that looks very similar to a legitimate business email,” says Const. Karren Jensen, an investigator with the Nova Scotia RCMP Cybercrime Unit.
“The cyberattacker then sends an email to the businesses’ clients, indicating that the company’s banking information has changed.
“When the clients then go to pay their bills, they unknowingly deposit cash into the attacker’s bank account instead of the businesses.”
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Businesses, employees, and clients can help protect against BEC scams by:
Verifying all requests: Always double check unusual or urgent requests for funds or sensitive information through a separate, trusted channel, such as a phone call to a known number.
Being wary of lookalike domains: Be cautious of slight variations in email addresses.
Implementing security measures: Use multi-factor authentication and other security solutions to help catch fake emails.
Being educated: Know how to recognize the signs of BECs and what to do after receiving a suspicious email.
Reporting the crime: If your business is a victim, report it immediately to your financial institution and your local police.
For more information about BEC, please visit: https://rcmp.ca/en/federal-policing/cybercrime/cyber-features/business-email-compromise
File #: 2025-281123, 2025-1560741
