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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... SOU training gives tips on what to do if there's an active shooter ... Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... SOU training gives tips on what to do if there's an active shooter ... CRIME Scam bilks $245,000 from local businesses Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 4:52 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 4:52 PM » Social News Medford police are warning local business owners to watch out for a complicated scam that's so far bilked two local companies that do wire transfers out of $245,000. Lt. Mike Budreau said scammers gained access to the companies' email systems. Then they sent an email impersonating a well-known customer requesting a wire transfer to a different account — a not-uncommon-practice in the business world. Police said that over the past year, two local companies, which they did not identify, have been scammed out of $87,000 and $158,000, respectively. "The only thing they had in common was that they were both businesses that make wire transfers of large amounts of money," Budreau said. Budreau said that in at least one case, the scammers hijacked the email account of an employee in the same building as their target. "The (person who was scammed) got an email from someone in the same building," he said. Budreau said the scam is noticeably more sophisticated than many others police have encountered. "It all hinges on getting inside the (target's) email system, which makes it more complex," he said. He said that the scammers appear to be based overseas, making prosecution difficult. "We will probably hand it over to the federal authorities," he said, clarifying that he couldn't remember a case in which domestic law enforcement authorities had successfully apprehended and prosecuted a foreign scam artist. Budreau said that the best defense against the scam would involve businesses setting up a mechanism with their financial institutions to verify the identity of every account they make transfers to. "I'm not really sure what that would specifically entail," he said. "It's more of a preventative solution." Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected]. By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 4:52 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501