• Phishing attacks work in a variety of ways – you can be contacted via email, social media, phone call, text message or some other form of communication. The offender may pretend to be an official organisation notifying you of unauthorised or suspicious activity on your account, or asking you to confirm your identity by providing personal details.

  If you share this sensitive information with the scammer, they may then be able to access and steal your money.

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The key difference between phishing and spear phishing is the scale of targeting. Whereas phishing emails are sent en masse to many recipients at once and often at random, spear phishing emails are designed to target certain individuals or organisations.

Whaling phishing is a form of fraud with high-value targets, such as large corporations. Attackers may pretend to be C-suite executives or business partners, sending emails to company personnel to request confidential information so that they can access funds.

If you suspect that you have been targeted by a whaling phishing scam, you must act urgently. Please contact us today for assistance containing the attack. We are experts in large-scale fraud such as email phishing scams on commercial business.

It’s important to be aware that phishing messages are designed to appear legitimate, and regularly copy the same format and branding used by the organisation the scammer is impersonating. To detect a phishing scam, look carefully for these red flags:

• A fake website may have a slightly different address to its genuine counterpart
• The message is requesting that you update or verify your personal details
• The message fails to address you by your full name, and may include typing and/or grammatical errors.
• Unfamiliar icons show up on your computer screen, or your computer’s speed has slowed down after the communication.

If you suspect that you have received a phishing email, it is crucial to contact us as soon as possible. Additionally, please follow the below instructions:

• Do not let the scammer know that you have identified their scam.
• Do not open any attachments or click on any links.
• Do not provide any personal details.
• Do perform an internet search of the exact name or wording to see if anyone else has been targeted by the scam.
• Do contact the institution the scammer is pretending to be immediately and ensure they are aware of the scam.

• In general, we are able to complete a phishing investigation within one to three months. However, this time frame varies according to the case’s complexity and whether or not legal proceedings are taking place.

  Once this milestone has been reached, a recovery strategy must be undertaken in light of the investigation’s insights. This process typically involves the preparation of an initial demand letter, which, if ignored, is ensued by legal action and/or the filing of a criminal complaint and close collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

  At this stage, IFW investigators will support law enforcement officials with the filing of search warrants and/or criminal charges against the offender, who may be arrested and prosecuted.

The cost of investigating a phishing scam depends on the complexity of the case, the amount of money concerned, and the jurisdiction in which the offenders operate.

Generally, the greater the losses, the more sophisticated and costly the investigation – especially if your money has already been transferred across financial institutions or money remitting platforms.

Our expert investigators will provide you with a personalised proposal for your case, including a budget to maximise the likelihood of a successful result.

It’s important to understand that successful recovery is never guaranteed. However, the more powerful the evidence against the scammer, the greater the likelihood that you will be able to file a Court case – and legal proceedings often lead to a recovery.

We will perform a preliminary assessment of your case to advise on the realistic chances of recovery, so that you can make an informed decision on whether or not to proceed with an investigation.