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BIG NEWS FOR SMALL BUSINESS
IS YOUR BUSINESS SAFE FROM FRAUD? As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, businesses are at an increased risk of being targeted by fraudsters with many businesses having moved online and with employees, including accounts personnel, working from home. Invoice fraud is on the rise and while not a new scam, it can be catastrophic for businesses who fall victim. In August last year, one Dublin business alone lost €1.2 million due to this type of fraud. Invoice fraud occurs when, using a spoofed email address, the fraudster emails you pretending to be one of your suppliers. The email will mirror an email that you regularly receive from your supplier, including logos and signoffs. The email informs you that the supplier has a new bank account and that all future payments should go to the new account. When you receive the next legitimate invoice from the real supplier, you make a payment to the new bank account. Generally, it is only later when the real supplier sends you a reminder to pay the invoice that you realise what has happened. Even by doing a recall on the payment through your bank, there is no guarantee that the funds can be returned. Fraudsters are quick and will move money as soon as they receive it. For further information, visit www.FraudSMART.ie. Mark Teevan, Chair of HMI
ENERGY
IRELAND IN STEP WITH EUROPEAN PUSH TOWARDS HYDROGEN ENERGY Hydrogen Mobility Ireland (HMI) recently launched a multi week, in-service trial of a fuel cell electric bus in the Dublin area. The bus, powered by a 60KW Toyota fuel cell stack, will be the first ever hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle put into public service operation on the island of Ireland. While HMI is currently running Ireland’s first hydrogen fuel cell bus trial in Dublin, a global race to scale up green hydrogen has begun, with Europe pushing the hydrogen solution as key to the bloc’s future energy mix. Hydrogen is the lightest, simplest and one of the most abundant chemicals on earth and the most abundant in the universe. It will never run out. The Hydrogen Mobility Ireland project is a partnership of businesses from across many sectors, together with public sector and academic stakeholders, with all-island cooperation, joining together to deliver a coordinated approach to the introduction of this cuttingedge technology.
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01/04/2021 15:56