Childcare Centre is now all Set to Open in New Year Despite $54,000 Loss in Invoice Hacking Scam

A childcare centre is now all set to open in New Year at rural Taranaki despite losing a hefty amount of around $54,000 in invoice hacking scam.

In the month of April, a hacker has intercepted the invoice payment amount of $53,700 from Pat Bradford and Millie Bradford, the parents of Anna Ryder. The invoice payment intercepted was to be paid to a sub-contractor, who was involved in construction of Ruru Childcare Centre situated at Lepperton, located at the north of New Plymouth. The
original invoice was copied by the hacker, and then the hacker has added a bank account of Dunedin to it. After this, the hacker sent the fake invoice back to Bradford's, so that he can make the payment.

Unfortunately the Bradford's did not notice return email address, which was altered slightly, on the fake invoice at the time of making the payment; and thus lost the money. The loss of the amount was later covered by Bradford's through their retirement savings.

Ryder said that the police investigation till now has neither been able to track who the offender was, nor they have been able to return the cash. "We have not been able to recall the money lost, or find the person responsible. The police have been able to narrow their investigation down to a person who is known to them from other similar
cases," said Ryder.

Ryder further added that the alleged culprit uses two different aliases - 'Anthony Whitianga Williems', and the second 'Anthony Williems'. However, the police have not been able to make any arrest, she confirmed.

Ryder said that, "we have been told the money would have been moved offshore, possibly to a country in Asia where New Zealand police do not have the jurisdiction or international agreement to arrest the offender".

However, even after losing a hefty sum to the hacker, Ryder and her parents are confident that the Childcare Centre
will open in the New Year as planned, though the budget would now be more than $1 Million. She added that "we have
had a lot of support from family, friends and the community to keeping the project going".

Anna Ryder's parents, in order to avoid chance of any other fraud, have declined a request of online donations.

» SPAMfighter News - 10/22/2018