ANZ Bank Fiji is warning businesses to be more alert to rising cyber scams, especially fake invoices and online fraud, which are becoming more common across the Pacific.

During a recent cybersecurity event, ANZ Country Head for Fiji Rabih Yazbek and Head of Information Security Eli Hirschauge shared real examples of scams and urged local companies to tighten their internal processes.

Yazbek says in a recent case, a customer was defrauded of more than $100,000 after receiving a fake invoice.

“The email from their supplier had been intercepted. The invoice had been manipulated, and a fresh set of bank account details were put in—the fraudsters’ bank account details. So they sent over $100,000 to the incorrect bank account.”

Head of Information Security Eli Hirschauge (left), ANZ Country Head for Fiji Rabih Yazbek.

Yazbek commends the formation of Fiji’s Cyber Emergency Response Team; however, he believes more needs to be done.

“So when we pick up fraudulent activity, our role is to report to the FIU. The FIU typically will validate that there’s an issue and then pass it on to CID. So we feel that there’s a real need for CID to keep building up its capability so that they can be better at prosecuting those cases so you don’t have the same process operating for extended periods.”

Head of Information Security Eli Hirschauge says raising public awareness and improving coordination between all stakeholders is essential.

A lot of the information we get or the phishing attempts, or what we call smishing, which are attempts to defraud people using SMS, come through the telecom. So having that collaboration with the right support from government agencies and law enforcement is really important to build.

With online investment scams also increasing on social media, Yazbek warned the public to be careful about offers that sound too good to be true.

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