The employers & industrialists federation (Oev) has issued a warning to its members following a rise in phishing and fraud attempts involving falsified invoice payment requests.
The organisation said several companies have reported receiving deceptive emails falsely presented as official Oev communications, posing a significant risk of financial loss.
According to Oev, the fraudulent messages often display the organisation’s logo and use misleading sender names such as “Oev Billing.” One example observed includes the email address “[email protected],” which scammers used to request urgent settlement of an alleged invoice.
Oev stressed that these emails do not originate from the federation and should be treated as attempted fraud.
The organisation urged businesses to exercise heightened vigilance, emphasising that email sender names and addresses can be effortlessly manipulated to appear legitimate.
“No payment should be made without prior confirmation from the accounting department,” Oev cautioned in its advisory.
Members were also instructed not to open links or attachments contained in suspicious messages, as these may contain malware or redirect users to fraudulent websites designed to harvest sensitive information.
Oev is continuing to monitor the situation and remains available to assist organisations seeking clarification or guidance.
As phishing schemes become increasingly sophisticated, Oev encouraged companies of all sizes to reinforce employee awareness, strengthen verification procedures, and maintain robust cybersecurity practices.
Oev concluded that ongoing collaboration between organisations, IT teams, and industry bodies is essential to mitigating severe financial risks posed by digital fraud.
