Bloody ‘ell, mates! You won’t believe what’s been happening over in Ohio. There’s a bit of a kerfuffle in the local government circuit. Seems like someone in Athens city got themselves tangled up in a rather sticky cyber-scam. The catastrophe cost the city close to $722,000 last month! Can you imagine that? Talk about an ‘oops’ moment, eh?
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The Ohio State Auditor’s office had issued some bit of guidance on the newfangled scams called payment redirect frauds. This guidance was apparently handed out in spring and it seems like everyone in public offices, community schools or even those nose-to-the-grindstone independent public accountants got a copy. Yes, they actually warned everyone. They told them quite plainly, keep your eyes peeled for these baddies, follow our guidance, or you might find yourselves a-quiver in your boots!
And what is payment redirect fraud? Essentially some clever clogs sends a very persuasive email, claiming to be a vendor or contractor you trust. They convince you to pay your bills into a new account, and just like that, your payments are redirected to a scammer. Sly as a fox, these tricksters are!
Now remember what I mentioned about the warning? Well, this wasn’t just some cryptic fortune cookie wisdom. The bulletin – that’s what they called this urgent missive from the State Auditor’s office – was crystal clear: “Failure to follow the guidance in this Bulletin may result in an AOS finding when a loss occurs, and the employee is considered liable as a result of negligence or performing duties without reasonable care.”
D’you see what they did there? Not only did they give the warning, but they also added a twist of lemon – accountability! So, if your finger slips, and you mistakenly wire money to a scammer, well old chap, you could find yourself in a right pickle.
But don’t you worry, this isn’t some sinister plot or a Sherlock Holmes mystery. These bulletins and advisories are a routine bit of business from the Auditor’s office. Consider them a chummy nudge that just lets folks know when something is brewing on the horizon.
March of last year, they spotted a storm brewing on the cybercrime front. They warned folks about it. They didn’t just say ‘be careful’, but they also provided practical suggestions on how to stay safe.
It makes one wonder, how in the blazes did Athens city end up donating 722,000 to a scammer? Somebody didn’t get the memo? Or did they think it was all some elaborate April Fool’s joke? One can only speculate.
All in all, this is a rather sticky wicket. It’s a wake-up call for everyone, especially those in the healthcare field. After all, if a city can be scammed, what’s stopping these rogues from trying to defraud a hospital or a nursing home? So, let’s mind our Ps and Qs, and give a toss about our cyber-security, shall we?
As always, stay safe and watch out for those cyber-spooks lurking in your emails. It’s a tricky business, this cybersecurity. One must stay sharpish and never let one’s guard down. Cheers to being cyber-savvy and scam-free!
by Parker Bytes
