The owner of Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour in Summerside is warning other local businesses about a “sophisticated” scam that left him more than $5,000 out of pocket.
Daniel Meister, who runs the popular ice cream shop, recounted how the fraud began in December when he contacted his regular cup supplier for an order of ice cream sundae dishes. After receiving a quote, Meister decided to wait until his business reopened for the season in February before finalizing the order.
When February arrived, Meister received a follow-up email while on vacation. The email appeared legitimate, so he quickly responded, confirming his intent to process the order upon his return.
However, things took a turn for the worse when Meister received another email, this time containing an invoice. While the document looked almost identical to the one he had received earlier, the banking details at the bottom had been altered. Although Meister noticed some discrepancies, such as the change in email address and the modified banking information, he did not immediately suspect foul play.
“In the hustle of running a business, there are so many things on your mind,” said Meister, who promptly went to the bank and wired just over $5,000 to the account listed on the invoice. A few days later, he received another email claiming the payment had not been received.
Suspicious, Meister contacted the bank, but the scammer continued to pressure him for additional payments, even offering discounts. It was only then that Meister began to feel something was off.
“There were inconsistencies in their messages,” Meister said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if multiple people were managing this scam email account.”
Realizing that he had fallen victim to an email scam, Meister contacted his supplier using the legitimate email address from his records. His original contact at the company responded immediately, confirming that they had not sent the invoice.
Meister then reported the incident to his bank and the police, but by that point, it was too late to recover the funds. “Once the money is sent, there’s very little that can be done,” he explained. “Scammers are very skilled at moving money around and covering their tracks.”
Meister believes the scammer may have gained access to his supplier’s email account, possibly setting up an email forwarding system to intercept communications between him and the company. He also suspects that artificial intelligence (AI) may have been used to mimic his supplier’s tone and language, adding a layer of sophistication to the scam.
Despite the embarrassment of being deceived, Meister decided to share his experience publicly. He posted a detailed account of the incident on the parlour’s Facebook page, urging other businesses to be vigilant and learn from his mistake.
In his post, Meister offered several tips to help prevent others from falling victim to similar scams:
Always verify any changes to payment information or communication methods.
Confirm suspicious requests by calling or using another method of communication.
Avoid rushing payments, even during busy times.
“I wanted to break the stigma around falling for scams,” Meister said. “I’m a young, tech-savvy person running a business, and I fell for this. It’s important for people to know that this can happen to anyone and that it’s okay to talk about it and warn others.”
Meister’s story serves as a cautionary tale for small businesses everywhere, highlighting the need for heightened awareness in the face of increasingly sophisticated scams.
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