Kiwi firm stung in $18k email scam

A New Zealand business has been scammed out of $18,000 after hackers intercepted email correspondence between the company and its supplying firm.

Nuklear Limited, an Auckland mirror demister manufacturer, is warning fellow Kiwi businesses to be aware of the scam, which changed banking instructions on the company's invoice.

After responding to an email from a South Korean based supplier, hackers intercepted the invoice, changing the banking instructions from the usual Korean account to a London-based bank.

"We have been dealing with the supplier mainly via email and we have no reason to believe that this instruction isn't genuine," Michelle Millington, manager, Nuklear Limited told the New Zealand Herald.

"When the suppliers contacted us to say they did not receive the money when our goods were ready for dispatch, we realised we had been scammed."

The scam follows a NetSafe report released last week, claiming New Zealanders lost $4.4m last year due to internet scams.

Responding to the worrying trend, affecting both businesses and the public, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recommends anyone looking to make purchases online does research into the company they are purchasing from.

"People should become suspicious if their supplier's details change, such as bank account details and they should contact the company directly to confirm any changes," a spokeswoman said.

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