Please refer to our previous article regarding a financial scam in the financial services industry here. One of our clients has kindly supplied the following information
The adviser received an email in December purporting to be from one of their wealthiest clients, stating that they were in the Ukraine and that all their money had been stolen. They had managed to keep their passports but now needed funds to fly home urgently.
The fact that the email came from the client’s email address looked genuine, but it was in broken English; nevertheless, that could have been because the clients had just been mugged and would therefore have been extremely upset.
The adviser did not respond to this email and waited for any further instruction on the basis that if the clients really were in a desperate situation, then they would have followed up, contacted their family, etc.
Finally, the adviser rang the client who confirmed that they had been hacked and requests had gone to everyone in their address box.
An ATEB reminder for all staff involved in insurance distribution activities
Michael Senior Compliance Conduct, FCA, P1, PI, Security
We thought it appropriate to issue a New Year reminder for firms that have staff … directly involved in the carrying on of the firm’s insurance distribution activities; or within the management structure responsible for the firm’s insurance distribution activities; or responsible for the supervision of a relevant employee acting in the capacity […]