Authorities from the Civil Guard Team @ at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Command have initiated proceedings involving a 20-year-old individual, a resident of Sabadell (Barcelona), who is under investigation for allegedly defrauding a sum of 9,445.25 euros. This was achieved by tampering with a company’s email system and altering the bank details on an invoice to reroute the funds fraudulently obtained.
The Civil Guard was alerted to this criminal activity following a complaint lodged by a representative of the defrauded company based in Güímar. The incident involved the issuance of an invoice for services by the company’s official email account to another entity. The email was intercepted and modified, changing the designated bank account for the payment of 9,445.25 euros. Subsequently, a doctored email resembling the genuine one was sent to the recipient company. Finally, the payment was remitted to an account owned by the suspect.
The investigation by Civil Guard agents exposed the fraudulent technique known as BEC (Business Email Compromise), wherein cybercriminals utilise social engineering tactics to infiltrate a company’s email system and alter communications to divert money to their accounts.
Following a meticulous investigation by the Civil Guard, with support from the Barcelona Command’s @ Team due to the suspect’s residency in that city, actions were taken to locate and investigate him for the alleged fraud. The findings have been forwarded to the Güímar Court of First Instance and Investigation No. 2, as well as the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Cybercrime Prosecutor’s Office.
Law enforcement authorities advise vigilance against suspicious requests for immediate payments, such as those seeking personal or confidential information, or modifying payment details. They also recommend verifying unusual emails or those from unknown senders by directly contacting the company through secure means like phone calls or in-person visits, as email confirmations are deemed risky.
