Remember our recent blog about fake Veolia UK payment letters attempting to scam you out of cash?
BUSINESSES BEWARE: Suspicious “Veolia” Letters Circulating to Get Your Money ‒ Avoid The Latest Scam
Here’s another look at one of the sneaky letters we’re talking about.
It requested you update how you pay Veolia – complete with the fraudster’s own bank details – and looks fairly legit with the “official” letterhead of the waste management company and the signature of their chief financial officer!
We received an overwhelming response to the blog, from those affected and those who potentially could have been, which we wrote to give fellow businesses a heads up on the scam. The controversy also caught the attention of Lloyds Banking Group who called us to find out more, and was a talking point online in the Reddit community.
Veolia themselves were quick to follow up on the matter, informing all of their customers.
However, in sending a copy of the fraudulent letter, it appears this in fact led to some businesses actually acting upon the fraudster’s requests! The blame can go two ways – on the firms for not properly disposing the copy letters sent to them by Veolia, but perhaps more fairly on Veolia themselves for keeping the rogue bank details freely on show.
As you can see, we covered up the bank details that the scammer hoped you’d update your records with.
Below is a copy of the subsequent correspondence Veolia issued to customers:
Make sure you follow their guidance and ensure you are paying them, and only them!
Oops. Aside from that oversight, this case highlights how good community spirit can help protect us at times like this and advise fellow companies of potential threats, especially when using social media to immediately get the word out on scams that may not become apparent until it’s too late!
