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Hacker st ar getbusi nessowner swi t hCovi d19 VAT def er r alscam LONDON,Thur s day17t hSept ember2020–Bus i nes sowner s hav ebeent het ar getofanewemai l phi s hi ngs c am pur por t i ng t obef r om HM Rev enue&Cus t oms( HMRC) .Thes c am, whi c hwasunc ov er edbyac c ount anc yout s our c i ngs pec i al i s t s LanopOut s our c i ng,us esof f i c i al HMRCbr andi ngandgr aphi c s t oc onv i nc ev i c t i mst hatt hei rVATdef er r al appl i c at i onhasbeen r ej ec t ed.Atl eas t100c ompanyowner shav er epor t edr ec ei v i ngt her eal i s t i cs c am emai l t hr oughLanopOut s our c i ngc l i ent s . T oai ds t r uggl i ngbus i nes s esdur i ngCov i d19,HMRCal l owed pay ment sofVATbet weenMar c h2020andJ une2020t obe def er r edunt i l 31s tMar c h2021.Cy berc r i mi nal shav eus edt he s c hemet ot r i c kbus i nes sowner si nt or ev eal i ngs ens i t i v ei nf or mat i on,s uc hasac c ountnames ,pas s wor dsandpay mentdet ai l s . Thephi s hi ngemai l begi ns :“ Dearc us t omer s ,Yourr eques tf or adef er r al ofVATpay ment sduet oc or onav i r us( COVI D19) hasbeenr ej ec t ed… Summar yofr ej ec tj us t i f i c at i on:‘ t hec l ai manti si nar r ear s . ” Theemai l t henat t empt st oc onv i nc et her ec i pi entofi t sl egi t i mac ybyat t ac hi ngaf al s edoc umentwi t h“ mor edet ai l sanda f ul l r epor tony ourappl i c at i on, ”whi l s tal s os har i ngaoneus e pas s wor dr equi r edt oopent hedoc umentands ugges t i ngt hat t heor i gi nal appl i c at i onhasal s obeenr es har ed. Thev i c t i mi st henr edi r ec t edt oaf al s ewebs i t eandpr ompt ed t oent erc er t ai ns ens i t i v ei nf or mat i on,s uc hasemai l ,pas s wor dsandpay mentdet ai l swhi c hi st henhar v es t edbyt he hac k er . Cy bers ec ur i t yex per tSt ev ePeak e,UKSy s t emsEngi neer ManageratBar r ac udaNet wor k sc omment s : “ Thi sphi s hi ngat t ac ki st hel at es ti nas er i esofHMRCbr anded emai l s c ams ,des i gnedt ot r i c kbus i nes sowner si nt ohandi ng ov erc onf i dent i al dat a.Wi t hmanyc ompani ess t r uggl i ngduet o t hedi s r upt i onc aus edbyt heCov i d19out br eak ,wehav es een ar eal upt ak ei nt henumberofCov i dr el at edat t ac k st ar get i ng bus i nes sowner sandempl oy ees .I nf ac t ,wer ec ent l yobs er v eda667% s pi k ei nc or onav i r us r el at eds pear phi s hi ngat t ac k sf r om Febr uar yc ompar edt oMar c h,dur i ngt hes t ar tof t heUK’ sl oc k down.Thus ,i twasonl yamat t eroft i mebef or e hac k er st ar get edt hegov er nment ’ sVATdef er ments c hemeas anewr out et oobt ai ni ngt hebankdet ai l sofuns us pec t i ngv i c t i ms . “ Soc i al l yengi neer eds er v i c ei mper s onat i onat t ac k sus i ngt r us t edbr andsi sunf or t unat el yagr owi ngpr ac t i c ewhi c hc anbea v er ys uc c es s f ul met hodofat t ac k ,es pec i al l ywhenc ombi ned wi t ht hec ur r entwor l ds i t uat i on.At t ac k er sf r equent l yr el yon t hi sf or m ofat t ac kasi tdel i v er sani ns t antl ev el oft r us twi t ht he emai l r ec i pi ent ,wi t hmanyor gani s at i onsl ac k i ngt hel ay er ed s ec ur i t yappr oac ht hatmoder ndayemai l s ec ur i t yr equi r es .

“ Combat t i ngt hi s i s s uer equi r es bus i nes sowner s andent r epr eneur s t ak eemai l s ec ur i t y s er i ous l y ,ens ui ng t her i ghts y s t ems ar ei npl ac et o hi ghl i ghtandbl oc k pot ent i al l ymal i c i ous ors us pi c i ousemai l s bef or et heyr eac h t hei nbox .I t ’ sal s o c r i t i c al t hatev er y memberofs t af fi s pr oper l yt r ai nedt o s pott hes es c ams , es pec i al l ywi t hs o manypeopl es t i l l wor k i ngr emot el y .Forex ampl e,HMRCwi l l nev eras kf orc r edent i al sofanyk i nd,andi t ’ si mpor t antt hatus er sunder s t andt hi sas wel l asot herbas i cs ec ur i t ypr ec aut i ons ,s uc hasc hec k i ngt he webs i t eofanyr eques tdi r ec t l y ,andnev erc l i c k i ngl i nk ss entv i a emai l . ” Shahz adAl i ,Managi ngDi r ec t or ,LanopOut s our c i ng,c omment s : “ Thi ss c am i soneoft hemos tdec ei t f ul andr eal i s t i cphi s hi ngat t ac k swe’ v es eens i nc et hes t ar toft heCov i d19pandemi c ,and i t sv eneerofl egi t i mac yi sj us ts t r ongenought hatc onc er ned bus i nes sowner sc oul deas i l yf al l i nt ot het r apofhandi ngov er per s onal i nf or mat i on. “ I nt hes et r y i ngt i mes ,ac y berhac ks houl dbet hel eas tofbus i nes sowner s ’ wor r i es ,andi t ’ ses s ent i al t hatt hes our c eofal l s i gni f i c antemai l s ,par t i c ul ar l yt hos epur por t i ngt obef r om agov er nmentagenc y ,s houl dbev er i f i edbef or eanyf ur t herac t i oni s t ak en. ” AboutLanopOut s our c i ng LanopOut s our c i ngi saf i r m ofqual i f i edc har t er edac c ount ant s whohav ebeens er v i ngbot hUKandEUbas edc l i ent sf orov er f oury ear s .Ourt eam i swel l equi ppedandupt odat e,andi s c ompr i s edoff el l owmember sf r om ACCA,I CAEW,CI MAand I CMAwi t hv as tex per i enc ei nac c ount i ng,t axandf i nanc i al mat t er s . Ourt eam ofqual i f i edc har t er edac c ount ant sandt axs pec i al i s t s equat est oahi ghqual i t yofwor katar educ edc os t .Theywi l l t ak ec ar eofc ut of fdat esandens ur et hatt heyar eal l meti na t i meef f i c i entmanner ,s ot hewor r yofmeet i ngc er t ai ndeadl i nes c anbet ak enof fy ours houl der sandputont oour s .

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