Simple steps to protect yourself from fraud
Everyone is at risk from cyber criminal activity and should be vigilant. Now that so many more people are working from home and using their own equipment, extra care needs to be taken to keep your business safe.
Cybercrime has put some familiar art world firms out of business, using a technique called Business Email Compromise (BEC). Using infected computers, email servers or networks, cybercriminals read your emails. They are patient and stealthy. They may solicit valuable information, posing as you. Commonly, they will cleverly impersonate you, write to your clients and, sending false documents or fresh instructions, request payment to their bank accounts. Your clients think they are paying your invoices and in fact they are paying into a criminal's bank account, apparently at your request. Your insurance may not cover you for these losses.
Key takeaway
We recommend that you advise all your clients to telephone you to confirm your bank details, for any high value transaction and especially if they are paying you for the first time. When you pay a supplier for the first time, you should always call the number on their website to verify bank details too.
Whilst it may be useful to use software to encrypt an invoice, you then have to send the password via text message to the person paying the bill. This is still subject to interception and impersonation.
Criminals may also use warnings and put their own phone numbers on messages. So you should ensure that the number on your website is up to date and that whoever answers the phone could easily find your correct bank account details.
Additional measures
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ensure that your computers and network are protected by firewalls
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use strong passwords for your email account and change them routinely
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use strong passwords for your Artlogic login and IP restrictions and Two-Factor Authentication if you can
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we recommend that you always keep your operating system up to date
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use anti-virus software which updates itself on every computer and runs continuous scans on your email and any inserted memory stick or hard drive
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regularly check that the software is running
- think carefully about clicking on a link or downloading any document in an email you do not 100% trust.
In summary
Always advise your clients to check large or first time transactions with you by calling you to verify your bank details when you issue an invoice. Advise your clients in the sale agreement, any emails written in regard to the sale and in the terms on the invoice that you will not accept responsibility if they send the money to the wrong bank account.
And if you need to pay anyone for the first time always ring up the payee to make sure that the details on the invoice are correct.
Further reading
Read about protection from Phishing attacks with advice from the National Cyber Security Centre.
Read more about protecting your email with advice from the National Cyber Security Centre.
Keeping your data safe is our number one priority and a lot of thought goes into it. The Artlogic Database service is well protected and, when you are using the database, the information is encrypted in transit. There are a lot of features to help keep your data safe. Read more about Artlogic Security features.