MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is alerting Wisconsin businesses of recent incidents of criminal actors using business email compromise (BEC) to steal shipments of food products and ingredients valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A recent Cybersecurity Advisory issued jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) analyzes the common tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) utilized by criminal actors to impersonate legitimate employees using fake emails and domains.
Scammers using BEC may order goods on behalf of a company without paying for them. BEC scammers may also resell goods at devalued prices with labeling that lacks regard for industry standard such as allergens, ingredients, and expiration dates. Wisconsin businesses should utilize a risk-informed analysis to prepare for and mitigate cyber incidents and other cyber-enabled crimes. Read the joint FBI, FDA OCI, and USDA
Cybersecurity Advisory online.
For additional information and consumer protection resources or to file a complaint, visit DATCP’s Consumer Protection webpage at ConsumerProtection.wi.gov. If you have questions or believe you are a victim of a scam, report it by contacting DATCP’s Consumer Protection Hotline by phone at (800) 422-7128 or email at DATCPHotline@wi.gov.
