In recent years – it is plain to all – we have seen an unprecedented proliferation of scam attempts, phishing, and frauds of various kinds in our industry.
In general, the field of international commerce has always been a breeding ground for scams, but the sharp sprint toward digitization of processes – which has been underway for years but has accelerated exponentially since the COVID years – combined with technological evolution as well as global instability and a perceived sense of impoverishment, have contributed to the emergence of countless new online scammers, cheaters, and crooks.
Identity theft, counterfeit domains, and fake emails are commonplace. We are exposed to attacks and fraud attempts daily, and it is only thanks to many years of practice and the solid protective measures put in place that we manage to get away unscathed most of the time.
We should always be cautious (this is a reminder to us as our stakeholders).
It’s a jungle out there, and when there are economic transactions and exchanges of goods involved, it is advisable to use all available means of verification and protection.
For example, there are online systems for verifying the validity of email addresses (below, an example of a seemingly “legitimate” address with the Intech domain: verification shows that it is, however, an invalid address), and cross-web browsing can provide additional diriment about companies, businesses, and people.
However, we at Intech rely on the most effective and old-fashioned anti-fraud tools: direct interaction and accountability.
In our promotional communications, there are photos and contacts (including Skype and QQ) of our sales agents; at the bottom of our emails, there are always phone references. We speak over 20 languages and have always prided ourselves on being companies made of people.
It means that, in each of the Intech Network companies, there will always be accountable, real people with actual faces, names, and voices who will call you or answer your calls in case of any request or doubt, ready to provide all the necessary information and support.
Process automation is the future (as well as the present): we know this better than anyone, and we strive for this. But when automated processes replace direct interaction entirely, misunderstandings and gray areas can arise, creating the suitable breeding ground for scams and fraud. Picking up the phone, we can figure it out.