Though cyber security seems to be every business’ focus of late, many businesses are still being stung. This week, a Somerset plant hire boss has announced that he will be taking legal action after losing \u00a33m.\u00a0Placing NatWest as the business behind the problem, G. A. Doble Civil Engineering Ltd says that they started to experience issues after using online banking systems.<\/p>\n
As a traditional business, using online banking was a big step; one that they are very vocal about regretting, experiencing a huge case of fraud; costing him millions of pounds.<\/p>\n
Gerald Doble, who had been using online banking for just a few months shared his experience.<\/p>\n
Talking to BBC Points West, he said: “It’s just devastating.”<\/p>\n
“The worst part were [sic], on the Wednesday we were told that \u00a32M had gone, and by the Monday they said that \u00a33M had gone.”<\/p>\n
So, what happened?<\/p>\n
Mr Doble claimed that NatWest installed its Bankline service in 2017; a service that was built to support its corporate customers with day-to-day banking. However, on Tuesday 5th December, the business’ Accountant noticed a problem when issuing payments. Pressing the ‘help’ option, he then received a call from someone claiming to be Natwest.<\/p>\n
Informing the business’ Accountant that there were issues with the setup, the fraudster then requested some numbers, pretending he needed them to conduct a re-installation.<\/p>\n
Waiting to receive confirmation, the business then received a call from the Metropolitan Police, informing that an act of fraud had been carried out. With \u00a33m having left the business’ account, the hire company will now take legal action against Natwest; a bank that is claiming this was just a ‘coincidence’.<\/p>\n