The International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has warned members about potential bank fraud after an email scam cost a ship agent $45,000.
The insurer said proper bank account checks should be made when transferring funds to principals and intermediaries.
The warning came a ship agent received a request from a shipowner to deliver $45,000 in cash to the vessel's master during an upcoming port call.
The funds were remitted and received by the agents who, a few days later, received a call from a supply company and then from the master asking that, rather than delivering the full amount to the master, they should first deduct part of the amount as payment for fresh provisions, to be delivered to the ship during its stay at the port.
The agent agreed and subsequently received email confirmation from the master, copying-in the shipowner.
Email scam
A few days later the master confirmed that the actual amount to be delivered on board was $23,000, adding that the remaining funds should be remitted to the supply company as settlement for provisions.
This email contained a preliminary delivery note signed by the ship supply company.
Later that week, the agent received a message from the master explaining that he expected the provisions to be delivered at 1800 hours the same day, and outlining the denomination of the funds required.
This email had the ship supply company in copy and was sent as a reply to previous messages regarding the provisions and cash to master.
But it later emerged that the email had not been sent by the master, but rather had originated from a very similar - but crucially different - email address. This was not spotted by either the agents or the ship supply company, ITIC said.
"The agents received an invoice with banking details bearing the ship’s stamp and master’s signature, together with the stamp and signature of the ship supply company," it added.
"The email attaching the documentation appeared to have the ship supply company in copy, but in fact the email address - again unnoticed by the unsuspecting parties - was slightly different."
A third party had "intercepted the communication chain," ITIC said.
ITIC recommends making a phone call to check account details with the recipient’s office.
