Legal liability when your business email has been hacked

In recent weeks, cybercriminals have been pivoting their methods to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we shed light on the legal position of businesses that fall victim to online scams and in particular to invoice fraud, which has become an increasingly popular type of online scam.

Invoice Fraud

An invoice fraud scheme usually involves a cybercriminal masquerading as a trusted supplier, and sending a fake invoice to that supplier's customers. In these scams, the cybercriminal often has control of the supplier's email account and can access legitimate invoices. The cybercriminal changes these invoices to include new bank account details and then sends the invoices to customers from the supplier's email account. The customer pays the invoice into the cybercriminal's bank account, and the actual supplier's invoice for services provided or goods delivered remains outstanding.