Public warned over fraudulent bank calls
Police have warned businesses and corporate banking customers about telephone scammers claiming to investigate bank fraud.
A spokesman said the perpetrators contact victims via Butterfield Bank’s Bermuda hotline, 295-1111, making the calls appear to originate from a legitimate bank telephone number.
He explained: “During these calls, the fraudsters claimed that suspicious international payment activity had been detected on the victims’ accounts.
“To establish credibility, they reportedly used customer account information and fabricated fraud case reference numbers.
“Victims were then persuaded to speak with individuals posing as technical support personnel and, in some instances, instructed to install remote access software, including AnyDesk, through malicious websites.”
The criminals then facilitated unauthorised wire transfers or ordered victims to transfer funds to purported “safe accounts”.
The spokesman added that the two websites associated with the scam, butterfieldcontact[.]web[.]app and butterfieldhelpdesk[.]web[.]app, have been taken down and urged members of the public to not visit these sites or download software from links provided through solicited calls.
Members of the public should take the following precautions to avoid or reduce the harm of getting scammed:
Immediately end calls from individuals claiming to be from their bank’s fraud team
Contact their bank using a trusted number from its official website or other verified source
Never install programmes such as AnyDesk or visit websites provided by unsolicited callers to investigate alleged fraud
Never transfer money to a “safe account”
Those responsible for initiating or approving payments should independently verify unusual requests, particularly those involving international transfers or alleged account security breaches
Promptly contact their bank if they believe they have been targeted by fraudsters, installed remote access software or transferred funds and report the matter to police
He advised: “Anyone who has installed remote access software at the direction of a suspected fraudster should disconnect the affected device from the internet, where safe to do so, and contact their bank using a verified number from a separate, trusted device.
“The affected device should not be used to access online banking until it has been checked and secured.”
The spokesman said the BPS recognises the “potentially serious financial consequences of these scams, particularly for businesses handling substantial payments and international transactions”.
He added: “Criminals are increasingly using sophisticated methods to make fraudulent communications appear legitimate.
“The combination of caller ID spoofing, personal or account information and convincing impersonation can make these scams difficult to identify.
“If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from your bank, do not act on the caller’s instructions — end the call, verify the information independently and report any suspected fraud.”
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