SINGAPORE – A Singapore-registered aviation firm nearly lost US$132,500 (S$175,600) to a business e-mail scam, but with the aid of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities, Interpol and the police in Singapore, managed to recover the sum.

       On Aug 1, an employee of the Singapore-based firm received an e-mail from a scammer posing as a supplier in the United States, instructing him to make payment for an invoice to an updated UAE bank account, said the police on Aug 8.

       Save for the letter “i” that had been replaced with an “I”, the scammer’s e-mail address appeared to be no different from the supplier’s genuine address – the same ruse used in a scam in July, involving over US$40 million.

       The unsuspecting employee duly transferred the US$132,500 to the fraudster’s account on Aug 2.

       He discovered the bluff after informing the real supplier that payment had been made to the “new” bank account.

       The company lodged a report with the police on Aug 3.

       The Anti-Scam Command arm of the police then alerted the UAE authorities and Interpol who managed to intercept the sum and foil the plot on Aug 6.

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       The money has been returned to the firm, said the police.

       In July, the Singapore Police Force worked with the Timor-Leste authorities and Interpol to retrieve over US$40 million – its largest recovery to date for such schemes, known as business e-mail compromise scams.

       The same modus operandi was at play then, too: an employee of a commodity firm in Singapore had transferred the sum to a sham supplier.

       After a police report was made, the agencies worked together to recover the funds, and seven suspects were arrested.

       The police advise businesses to be mindful of new or sudden changes in payment instructions. These should always be verified by calling the e-mail sender, the police added.

       For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.