Provincial police are investigating a fraud case involving a compromised business email in eastern Ontario.
The Upper Ottawa Valley detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police says a local business reported losing $3,000 after falling victim to a spear phishing scheme, also known as business email compromise. The incident was reported March 31.
Police say the business’s email account was compromised, leading a customer to unknowingly send payment to a fraudster instead of the company.
According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians reported nearly $68 million in losses from similar scams in 2025.
Investigators say business email compromise schemes typically involve cybercriminals impersonating employees, executives or trusted vendors to request payments or sensitive information. In some cases, attackers monitor email accounts for weeks to study communication patterns before making their move.
Police warn that common red flags include urgent or secretive payment requests, unexpected changes to financial procedures and email addresses that appear legitimate but contain slight differences.
The OPP is urging businesses to verify financial requests through alternate methods, such as phone calls, and to use tools like multi-factor authentication and employee training to reduce the risk of fraud.
Anyone who believes they may have been targeted is advised to contact their financial institution, report the incident to police and notify the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
(Steve Berard)
