Eure Inox fell into the net of bogus material requests.
In order of time, the following identities have been stolen:
– 2014 Saipem
– 2016 Fincantieri
– 2017 Ansaldo STS
How it works:
Companies are contacted by fake buyers who “steal” the identities of important clients (Saipem, Fincantieri, Ansaldo), exploiting details of construction sites that are actually open and the names of managers actually working in the companies. They create everything they need to be similar to the real company by creating websites, emails and all the material to be exchanged with the registered company. The demand for material is usually always modest and never for huge quantities so as not to attract too much attention.
“Who’s next?”.
Today this is the case of Renato Nemfardi’s Eure Inox contacted by a fake “Ansaldo STS”.
The fake Guadiello (the name of a real Ansaldo manager) asked us to supply different diameters for a total of about 12 tonnes,” Nemfardi told the Carabinieri. We proposed payment in advance, but then agreed on the balance upon delivery of the goods. The ordering dynamic never fully convinced us, so we decided to split the delivery into two batches as the customer was new. This was quite fortunate because, after registering the non-payment of the first batch, we immediately stopped the second, much larger one”.
We are talking about material amounting to a total of about 42,000 euros, collected directly in Eure Inox by a well-known courier. This material was then passed on to a second courier appointed by the fake manager who then disappeared.
The only way to detect the scam was the format of the email provided, everything else was in line with the information that could be found online. The email giuseppe.guadiello@ansaldospa is not in line with the real domain used by Ansaldo, which ends with @ansaldo-sts.com
In the first payment reminders, the fake manager tried to stall, perhaps hoping to receive the second batch of material. The scammer then vanished into thin air.
Ansaldo’s position
The company, through its spokesmen, states that it is aware of the fraud dynamics described above and considers itself an “injured party”. The manufacturer makes available a web page on its website http://www.ansaldo-sts.com/it/business/acquisti where it explains the various stages of the company’s supply request in order to avoid unpleasant situations as in this case.
“Ansaldo STS does not ask for supplies of any kind by e-mail from Companies which are not included in its suppliers database. Our corporate procedure provides for the activation of a well-defined and structured procurement process according to which the purchasing department, through the buyer of reference for that specific product category, asks the potential supplier to send an estimate accompanied by appropriate specific documentation to assess the suitability of the supplier and the specific supply required. Ansaldo STS is absolutely unaware of any such fraud and recommends that you pay the utmost attention and make the appropriate checks with our purchasing department before proceeding with the shipment of material or the provision of a service.”
The police of Peschiera Borromeo in the province of Milan are investigating the incident.
