Funds transfer critical information

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People across Australia have lost money when hackers have impersonated a law practice or another party involved in a legal matter by altering electronic communications including email, fax, social media, text, instant messaging, applications, file sharing and documents including PDF or Word documents. The following steps are critical to reducing this risk and if you are involved in a transfer of funds these are our expectations of you in helping to reduce the risk of such loss.

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YOU MUST NOT:

Transfer any funds (send, deposit, pay or transfer) of more than $10,000 Australian dollars or its equivalent in any other currency without first telephoning the sender on an independently verified telephone number to verbally confirm the account number, details and amounts by reading out and reading back the account and BSB numbers (or other specific payment details where applicable, e.g. if not a bank account) and confirming any instructions; and

 

YOU MUST:

Give the same warnings to anyone else known to be connected to the matter and anticipated to be involved in transferring or receiving any funds (including but not limited to, agents, brokers, family members, accountants).

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You must also:

• when calling to check payment details above, ensure that you do not make contact using a phone number for the apparent sender listed in any communication or document that asks for money or sets out account numbers or details without first checking the phone number from a source that is different to that communication, for example a separate paper communication or checking the person’s website or white or yellow pages telephone listing;

• contact the sender to check legitimacy before opening attachments, or clicking on hyperlinks or downloading buttons in unexpected emails; and

• contact us immediately if in any doubt about emails or any other electronic communications that appear to have come from you.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Apels Solicitors and Notary will not transfer money out of our practice until we are able to verify any bank account by a voice call to confirm those details (by reading out and reading back the account and BSB numbers or other specific payment details where applicable, e.g. if not a bank account). You must make sure you can be contacted if you need any funds transferred by a specific time, otherwise your objectives may not be met.