Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Financial and Cyber Crime Group have arrested a 65-year-old Brisbane woman for money laundering following reports of business emails being compromised.
An investigation by the Queensland Police Service, with assistance from the Australian Federal Police, commenced in July 2020 as part of QPS Operation Sierra Convertible. Notifications to the national Report Cyber hotline identified businesses being subjected to email compromise offences.
It will be alleged the woman, an accountant, was identified offending by receiving varying funds in excess of $3.3million from a range of compromised businesses who had their email exchanges intercepted by hackers.
It will be alleged the woman regularly received funds into multiple bank accounts she had opened before distributing the funds overseas.
The woman was arrested yesterday following a search warrant being executed at her Carina home, where computers and mobile phones were seized.
As part of the investigation detectives located over 50 bank account details linked to the woman.
She was charged with multiple offences involving dealing in the proceeds of crime, also referred to as money laundering, and is expected to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 16.
Financial and Cyber Crime Group’s Detective Inspector Vince Byrnes urged the community to be vigilant to business email compromise scams and implement safeguard measures.
“Business email compromise can involve invoices, either legitimate ones that have been altered or fake invoices, being sent to businesses for payment, where, if paid, funds are transferred into personal accounts.
“Businesses of any size can be targeted, so it is important to regularly review processes such as being careful with bank account details, checking the rules settings on email applications across all devices and ensuring customers and vendors verify any change of banking details through a second reliable means of communication other than email,” Detective Inspector Byrnes said.
Investigations are ongoing.
You Decide, Not the Scammers – R U in Control ?
If you’ve been a victim of an online scam, report to ReportCyber.
If you have lost money, notify your bank immediately.
Learn more about scams at www.scamwatch.gov.au and R U In Control.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.
