Schools Fraud Attempt
We have been made aware that a school has been targeted by fraudsters seeking payment of a fake invoice sent via email.
At first glance the invoice looks authentic. It purports to be generated by Zonal Retail Data Systems Ltd. Open source checks confirm this is a long established live company with a successful trading history and a presence on the internet. The address stated on the fraudulent invoice is one of the branch offices of this company. However, Zonal is involved in the supply of products/services to the Leisure and Hospitality industry and also appears to be a victim of this fraud.
The email attaching the invoice was received by a member of staff and appeared to have been sent by the Head Teacher of the School. These are available to view on the right.
The email requested that the invoice be paid immediately, as it was overdue. Closer inspection revealed that the sending email address was not the Head Teacher’s official email address. In addition, the email had been sent from an iPhone.
We would ask schools to continue to be vigilant when dealing with external emails, payment requests and bank account changes.
Kind regards,
Alison Tomkinson
Fraud Prevention Officer