LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- There is an important warning to anyone working at a small business: scammers are tricking people into diverting paychecks to them.
Small business owner Lynn Meyers owns a delivery services company.
Recently, Meyers received an email from one of her employees asking that she re-direct his pay into his new bank account.
"So I get an email from Scott Laminack. Scott Laminack happens to be our General Manager. And so his next payroll should go into this account," Meyers explained.
Suspicious, she went to his office to double-check. It's a good thing.
"So I walked down the hall, and I said are you doing something with your checking account? And he says no," Meyers said.
She was just moments from falling for what's called the "payroll diversion scam," which targets small businesses everywhere.
Luckily, she was aware of it. "This is why I know... I got caught once," she said.
In fact, Meyers admits she fells for the scam last year, after getting an email from a different employee.
"So I went ahead and changed everything, and on Saturday he calls me and asks is there something wrong with my paycheck," Meyers explained.
This scam is so effective because the scammers know that many office managers are so busy that when they get an email like this, they don't question it and send the change request right through.
The HR firm ADP is now warning clients about it. It said to be cautious of all requests for bank account changes that originate via email. It suggests speaking with the worker in person -- not through email or text.
Meyers, who lost a two week paycheck to a scammer, now wants to warn other small business owners.
"It's so easy because we are so tied to our emails," she said.
So look closely at any email concerning personal information in the office -- even if it appears to come from an employee you know.
To read more Don't Waste Your Money stories, click here.
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