A local pharmaceutical company has lost $6, 500 in a COVID-19 related online scam.

A local pharmaceutical company has lost $6, 500 in a COVID-19 related online scam.

The Financial Intelligence Unit received a report of a product scam connected to COVID-19 where the company paid for an order it never received.

The company paid for coronavirus related health and sanitation products such as face masks, hand sanitisers and disinfectant wipes.

FIU Director Razim Buksh, says the pharmaceutical company had contacted a foreign individual and business that was marketing face masks on Facebook.

The communication between the two parties later involved an email and WhatsApp correspondence.

The company then paid the money for an order using the banking details noted in the invoice sent by the supplier.

Buksh says the pharmaceutical company later received a fake confirmation from a freight company regarding the shipment of its order, however, the order has not been received to date.

The FIU Director warns with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increasing reliance on the internet for information and services and therefore, it is crucial for local businesses and the public to remain vigilant about cyber security.

This week the Fiji Police Force posted a warning on Facebook about cyber criminals advertising services relating to COVID-19 on various websites.