Stay Ahead of Funding Scams This Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a good time to look at how criminals target businesses that need capital. Whether you run a business, advise one, refer clients to funders, or broker financing for them, you’rein a position to spot fraud early, and you’re also a likely target. A business owner looking for money is often moving quickly, and a convincing offer can feel like a relief. That urgency is exactly what scammers count on.

Lending fraud rarely looks like a broken system. It looks like a message. It might be an email that appears to come from a real funder, a call from someone who knows a client’s name, or a deal that seems better than anything else on the market. The details can be polished, and the paperwork can look official. What usually gives it away is the request: pay something up front, send money through a personal app, or act before there’s time to check.

Every funder should meet a few clear standards, and anyone working with one should expect them. At Libertas, we don’t collect fees through personal accounts. We don’t ask for upfront broker payments before loan documents are signed. And our communications come from an @libertasfunding.com address. If a message claims to be from us and doesn’t meet those standards, treat it as suspicious and contact us directly using a phone number or email you already trust.

For advisors, referral partners, and brokers, the same rule applies to the businesses you serve. Before a client sends money, changes a bank detail, or shares sensitive information, confirm the request through a channel you already use, not a link, number, or contact method included in the message. A legitimate funder will be glad you checked. A scammer will push back.

Before You Act: A Funding Scam Checklist

• Confirm any payment or bank detail change by calling a number you already have on file, not one in the message.
• Walk away from any funder that asks for upfront fees or payment through a personal app.
• Check that the sender’s email address matches the company’s domain exactly, not a lookalike.
• Require a second person to approve any change in payment instructions.
• Turn on multi-factor authentication for email and financial accounts.
• Keep devices and software updated, and use a unique password for every account.
• Report anything suspicious, and contact the funder directly before taking action.

If you have questions about a funding offer or want to confirm that a message really came from Libertas, contact our security team directly at security@libertasfunding.com. Scammers often include fake contact details, so use the address above rather than anything in the suspicious message.