The Paphos Crime Investigation Department is looking into a case of internet scam and extraction of money by deceitful means at a Paphos hotel, the CNA reports.
According to the police, the case was reported yesterday by the hotel’s 65-year-old Director of Revenue and Internal Control who said that on May 5, 2020 he wired the amount of €10,614 to what he thought was a London-based company that concerned refunds for bookings made at the hotel for the months of April and May 2020.
The complainant said that on May 4, 2020, he had received an email from the said travel company advising on their account details for the transfer.
Later that day, he received a new email requesting that he sends the funds to a different bank account number than to the one provided originally, and the complainant proceeded with the execution of the wire transfer following the new instructions.
The fraud was revealed when the legitimate UK travel company advised the victim that they never received the funds.
Police estimate that the scammer was the person who sent the second email on May 4.
Further investigations revealed malicious e-mail software. The bank was then informed and would reportedly attempt to freeze the funds if it had not yet been snatched by the scammers.
Investigations are expected to expand via Interpol and the Cyprus Police’s Unit for Combating Money Laundering (MOKAS).
