You’ve probably received the text, or at least heard about it. EZ Pass claims you owe an outstanding balance with a threatening “final warning.” You might have deleted it immediately, but the FBI’s warning about this scam means A BUNCH of people didn’t—and got bamboozled as a result. 

If you’re an Aiken business owner who rarely drives through Atlanta or the Southern Connector in the Upstate, you might easily recognize this fake toll warning as a scam. But these “smishing” (SMS + phishing) attacks aren’t limited to toll fees. Maybe you spotted this one easily, or maybe—like millions of Americans—you clicked without thinking.   

Business Scams Are on the Rise in Aiken 

But what about the other, similarly simple scams targeting business owners? You may be savvy enough to spot them in isolation, but what about when the scams are “in the wild” of a normal business day? What happens when you’re juggling a million things at once and aren’t paying attention to every email address, text alert, and phone number? Cybercriminals rely on distraction and urgency to trick even the most cautious business owners. 

Aiken businesses—small and large—are being targeted by increasingly sophisticated cyber scams. These attacks don’t always make the news because, well, who wants to admit they fell victim to fraud? That can affect public perception and customer relations. 

Here are three common scams making their way through the Aiken business community:

  1. Fake Invoice Scams

Imagine this: an email lands in your inbox with a familiar vendor’s name, a reasonable-looking invoice, and a polite request for payment. The details seem legitimate—except the payment details have been altered, redirecting your funds to a scammer’s account. 

The reverse occurs as well – cybercriminal get their hands on your customer data, and send out invoices in your legitimate business name, but with payment headed to the hackers’ bank accounts.   

How to protect your business: 

  • Always verify invoices directly with vendors before making payments, especially ones that seem even slightly out of the ordinary. 
  • Train your employees to recognize red flags, such as urgent or unexpected payment requests. 
  • Implement two-factor authentication (2FA) for financial approvals. 
  • Protect customer data with appropriate “cyber hygiene” practices 

  1. Email Spoofing Scams

Cybercriminals can easily mimic your email domain to send fraudulent messages that appear to come from you or a trusted partner. Often, these emails contain urgent requests for sensitive information or financial transactions. 

How to protect your business: 

  • Make use of email security measures like advanced spam filters and email encryption 
  • Educate employees on verifying email senders before clicking links or responding, and train employees with Phish Testing  
  • Implement a strict company policy for financial transactions and information sharing. 

  1. Gift Card Scams Targeting Nonprofits and Businesses

Nonprofits, churches, and even small businesses are often targeted by gift card scams. A scammer impersonates a trusted leader—like a pastor, CEO, or manager—and requests urgent gift card purchases for a “charitable cause” or an employee incentive. Once the gift card codes are sent, the scammer disappears. 

How to protect your business: 

  • Establish a policy that prohibits making payments via gift cards. 
  • Confirm unusual requests through a secondary communication channel. 
  • Spread awareness among employees and leadership about this scam. 

Stay Ahead of Cyber Threats 

Scams are becoming more sophisticated, but cybercriminals also love to “play the hits” like the scams above because they work.  Local businesses in Aiken are prime targets. Cybersecurity isn’t just for big corporations—it’s crucial for every organization of any size. 

At BIT Services, we specialize in protecting businesses from cyber threats. Whether it’s employee training, email security, or advanced threat detection, we can help secure your business from costly scams. Contact us @ (803) 226-0837 for a free Network Assessment Test so we can help you understand your own cyber vulnerabilities.