Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds: Complete Scam Analysis [2025]

The “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” email scam is a deceptive phishing attack in which cybercriminals impersonate INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization) to trick recipients into providing sensitive banking details and personal identification information. The fraudulent email falsely claims that criminals, working with corrupt bankers, attempted to divert the recipient’s funds to another account but were unsuccessful.

What makes this scam particularly dangerous is its use of authority impersonation – creating a sense of legitimacy by posing as a respected international organization. The scammers often include official-looking letterheads, badge images, and formal language to appear credible to unsuspecting recipients.

According to Proofpoint’s impersonation attack research, organization impersonation scams have become increasingly sophisticated, with fraudsters carefully mimicking the communication style and visual elements of legitimate entities.

Common Names	Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds Scam INTERPOL Impersonation Email Deutsche Bank Fund Diversion Scam Banking Interception Fraud
Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Platforms Affected	All email platforms and devices
Fake Claim	Criminals and corrupt bankers attempted to divert recipient’s funds
Risk Level	High – targets banking information and personal identification
Potential Damage	Identity theft, monetary loss, unauthorized bank account access
Distribution Methods	Deceptive emails, mass spam campaigns, purchased email lists
Common Impersonations	INTERPOL, Deutsche Bank, government financial departments

What is the “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” Email Scam?

This scam represents a sophisticated form of business email compromise (BEC) where criminals pose as trusted law enforcement organizations to manipulate victims. According to the Federal Trade Commission, government impersonation scams like these are increasingly common, with thousands of complaints filed each year.

In this specific variant, scammers craft elaborate narratives about protecting the recipient’s funds from a fictional theft attempt. This creates both a false sense of crisis and positions the scammer as a supposed ally, making recipients more likely to comply with requests for sensitive information.

Common Warning Signs of INTERPOL Impersonation Scams

Identifying these scams often comes down to recognizing several telltale red flags:

• Claims about funds you never knew you had
• Poor grammar, spelling errors, or unusual phrasing
• Requests for banking details and personal identification
• Communication from generic email addresses rather than official organizational domains
• Impersonation of international authorities like INTERPOL
• References to specific bank accounts and routing numbers
• Urgency to respond quickly to secure the supposed funds
• Mentions of foreign banks supposedly holding your money

How INTERPOL Impersonation Email Scams Operate

Understanding the methodology behind these scams can help you identify and avoid them:

1. Mass Email Distribution

Scammers obtain email addresses through various means, including data breaches, purchased lists, or harvesting from public websites. They then launch mass email campaigns, targeting thousands or millions of recipients simultaneously. While most recipients will recognize and ignore these obvious scams, the attackers only need a small percentage to respond to make their operation profitable.

2. Authority and Trust Exploitation

The success of these scams relies heavily on the exploitation of authority and trust:

• Organizational Impersonation: Using the names and logos of respected international organizations like INTERPOL
• Banking Institution References: Mentioning legitimate banks (like Deutsche Bank) to add credibility
• Law Enforcement Language: Using terminology associated with investigations and criminal activities
• Protection Narrative: Positioning themselves as having protected the recipient from fraud
• Official-Looking Format: Structuring emails to resemble official communications

3. Multiple Stages of Fraud

The “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” scam typically progresses through several stages:

1. Initial Contact: Email claiming to be from INTERPOL about thwarted criminal activity
2. Information Request: Solicitation of banking details and personal identification
3. Documentation Requirements: Requests for ID cards or other official documents
4. Processing Fee Introduction: Once information is shared, demands for payment of fabricated fees emerge
5. Ongoing Extraction: Multiple rounds of fee requests with increasingly complex explanations
6. Complete Disappearance: After maximum exploitation, scammers cease all communication

Technical Analysis of INTERPOL Impersonation Email Scams

For those interested in understanding the technical aspects of these scams:

Email Structure and Components

A typical “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” scam email contains several key elements:

1. Spoofed Sender Information: Appears to come from INTERPOL or law enforcement agencies
2. Official-Looking Subject Lines: Contains terms like “INTERCEPTION OF FUNDS” or “OFFICIAL NOTICE”
3. Organizational Description: Often begins with a paragraph explaining INTERPOL’s role and authority
4. Specific Account References: Includes detailed (but fabricated) account information about the supposed fraud attempt
5. Foreign Bank Mentions: References to international banks allegedly holding secure funds
6. Contact Instructions: Provides alternative communication channels to a supposed bank official
7. Required Information List: Specific request for banking details, phone numbers, and identification documents

Example of “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” Scam Email

Below is the text from an actual scam email:

Subject: INTERCEPTION OF FUNDS

Hello dear beneficiary,

The INTERPOL plays a central role in preventing the WORLD from serving international organized crime. By providing globally sourced intelligence about regional crime, the NCB helps police officers across the world to detect and investigate the flow of illicit funds along trafficking routes in and around the globe.

Several Countries’s national police forces use the NCB to work with the global police community in investigating crime and bringing criminals to justice. It works in tight collaboration with International’s other leading agencies including the International Drug Law Enforcement Agency,International Finance Unit, Immigration Services, Customs, International Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons etc.

We want to inform you that some criminals, in collaboration with corrupt investment bankers, attempted to redirect your funds to the following account:

Bank Name: Chase Bank N.A.
Bank Address: Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
Routing Number: 021100361
Account Number: 805364999

However, we are pleased to report that the diversion was thwarted, and your funds are now securely held at Deutsche Bank Philippines. We are currently tracking the perpetrators.

To proceed, please reach out to Mr. Siason, the Chief Country Officer of Deutsche Bank Philippines, via email or through WhatsApp.

To facilitate the final payment transfer to your designated account, kindly provide the following details:

Your current receiving bank account information
Your phone number and your ID card
The amount and any other relevant details to expedite the transfer

Once we receive your response, we will send you the Payment Release Form and the Forex Exit Form for you to complete and forward to Mr. Siason for immediate disbursement of your funds.

We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced due to previous actions of our dishonest investment officials.

Best regards,

MONITORING TEAM
INTERPOL ORGANIZATION

Analysis of Technical Indicators

Security researchers can identify several technical red flags in these emails:

• Email Header Analysis: Often reveals mismatched sender information that doesn’t match official INTERPOL domains
• Missing Official Email Domains: Legitimate organizations use official email domains, not generic ones
• Inconsistent Formatting: Mixture of capitalization, spacing, and punctuation styles
• Linguistic Anomalies: Incorrect syntax, terminology errors regarding international organizations
• Generic Reply Addresses: Response instructions point to generic email services rather than official channels
• Link and Attachment Analysis: May contain suspicious hyperlinks or attachments. You can verify suspicious links using zero-trust security approaches before clicking.

How to Protect Yourself from INTERPOL Impersonation Email Scams

Follow these best practices to avoid becoming a victim of these sophisticated impersonation scams:

1. Immediate Protective Measures

1. Never respond to emails about funds you don’t know about, especially from unknown senders
2. Verify the legitimacy of any organization by contacting them through official channels
3. Remember that INTERPOL does not contact individuals about financial matters
4. Never share banking details or ID documents via email or messaging apps
5. Be extremely skeptical of emails claiming to have intercepted or protected your funds

2. Using Security Software to Detect Email-Borne Threats

While the “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” scam itself is primarily social engineering rather than malware, scammers sometimes include malicious attachments in their emails. Anti-malware software can help protect your system:

1. Install reputable security software on all your devices
2. Configure email protection settings to scan incoming messages and attachments
3. Run scheduled scans of your email folders and downloads directory
4. Keep your security software updated to ensure protection against the latest threats

3. Best Practices for Email Security

Implement these email security practices to minimize your risk:

• Verify the sender’s email domain by hovering over or checking the full address
• Be wary of emails discussing financial matters from organizations you have no relationship with
• Enable advanced spam filtering on your email account
• Use two-factor authentication on all financial and email accounts
• Report suspicious emails to your email provider as phishing attempts
• Check for personalization – legitimate organizations you do business with will address you by name
• Verify claims independently through official websites or phone numbers you find yourself

For comprehensive protection against email-based threats, review our complete phishing attack prevention guide for additional security recommendations.

What to Do If You’ve Responded to an INTERPOL Impersonation Scam

If you’ve already interacted with a “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” scam email, take these steps immediately:

If You’ve Provided Banking Information:

1. Contact your bank immediately to report potential compromise
2. Request a freeze on your accounts if necessary
3. Change online banking credentials from a secure device
4. Enable transaction notifications to alert you to any unusual activity
5. Monitor your accounts daily for unauthorized transactions

If You’ve Shared Personal Identification:

1. File an identity theft report with local law enforcement
2. Place a fraud alert with major credit bureaus
3. Consider a credit freeze to prevent new accounts being opened in your name
4. Monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity
5. Report the incident to the FTC’s Identity Theft website and other consumer protection agencies

Protecting Your Device:

1. Run a full system scan with your security software to check for any malware that might have been installed
2. Update your operating system and all applications
3. Change passwords for all important accounts from a different, secure device
4. Review email forwarding settings to ensure no unauthorized forwarding rules were created

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do scammers impersonate INTERPOL and other official organizations?

Scammers impersonate official organizations like INTERPOL because these entities command immediate respect and authority. This impersonation creates an initial trust barrier that helps bypass recipients’ skepticism. Law enforcement organizations are particularly effective for impersonation because they represent authority, security, and legitimacy. When recipients receive communications appearing to come from INTERPOL, they’re more likely to believe the content due to the organization’s reputation for fighting international crime. Additionally, most people have limited direct interaction with international policing organizations, making it difficult to identify inconsistencies in communication style. The psychological impact of receiving a message from what appears to be a powerful law enforcement agency can also create anxiety or urgency that clouds judgment, especially when the message claims to involve financial matters or potential criminal activity affecting the recipient’s assets.

How can I verify if an email really came from INTERPOL?

INTERPOL rarely contacts individual citizens directly. If you receive an email claiming to be from INTERPOL, you should know that legitimate INTERPOL communications always originate from official email domains (interpol.int), never from generic email services like Gmail or Yahoo. Official communications will not request personal financial information, banking details, or personal identification documents. To verify authenticity, never use contact information provided in the suspicious email. Instead, visit the official INTERPOL website (www.interpol.int) directly by typing the URL in your browser, and use their official contact channels. Be aware that INTERPOL does not handle private financial matters, fund transfers, or prize notifications for individuals. They will never ask you to pay fees or taxes to release funds. When in doubt, contact your local law enforcement agency for guidance on handling suspected INTERPOL impersonation. Remember that legitimate law enforcement agencies never conduct financial transactions via email or messaging apps.

Do banks like Deutsche Bank contact customers through WhatsApp?

Legitimate major financial institutions like Deutsche Bank never initiate customer contact through messaging apps like WhatsApp. This is a clear red flag in the “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” scam. Established international banks adhere to strict communication protocols and security measures when contacting customers. They communicate through official channels such as secure messages within their authenticated banking platforms, formal letters sent to your registered address, or phone calls from verifiable official numbers. Banks have established secure communication channels precisely to prevent fraud and protect customer information. Additionally, banking staff would never request that you send sensitive banking information or identification documents through messaging apps or email. These platforms lack the encryption and security features required for handling confidential financial information. If you receive unsolicited contact claiming to be from a bank representative through WhatsApp or similar apps, it is almost certainly fraudulent, regardless of how convincing the message might appear.

Can scam emails like these contain malware?

Yes, “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” scam emails and similar impersonation scams often contain malware, creating a dual threat beyond the social engineering aspects. These emails may include attachments disguised as “verification forms,” “claim documents,” or “security certificates” that contain malicious code. Opening these attachments can install various types of malware including keyloggers (to capture your banking credentials), trojans (giving scammers remote access to your computer), or ransomware (encrypting your files and demanding payment). According to FTC guidance on phishing scams, some scam emails include links to fake banking portals that harvest credentials or automatically download malware. This malware can operate silently, stealing sensitive information and monitoring your activity without your knowledge. To protect yourself, never open attachments or click links in unexpected emails, even if they appear official. Using security software that can scan email attachments provides an additional layer of protection against these combined social engineering and malware attacks.

Conclusion

INTERPOL impersonation scams like “Criminals Attempted To Redirect Your Funds” represent a sophisticated form of social engineering that targets victims by exploiting trust in legitimate organizations. These scams combine elements of authority impersonation, fabricated narratives about criminal activity, and false claims about protected funds to create a compelling deception.

The technical sophistication of these operations continues to evolve, with scammers improving their impersonation tactics through better visual elements, more convincing language, and sometimes including malware as an additional attack vector. The end goal remains the same: to steal banking information, personal identification, and ultimately money from unsuspecting victims.

By understanding how these scams operate, recognizing the warning signs, and implementing the protective measures outlined in this guide, you can significantly reduce your risk of becoming a victim. Remember that legitimate organizations like INTERPOL do not handle private financial matters and will never contact individuals about fund transfers or account protection.

If you’ve encountered suspicious emails claiming to be from international organizations about your finances, the safest approach is to delete them immediately and report the fraud to the FTC. For added protection against email-borne threats, consider using security solutions to scan attachments before opening them.

Stay vigilant, maintain a healthy skepticism toward unexpected communications from official-sounding entities, and remember that protecting your personal and financial information is ultimately your first line of defense against these increasingly sophisticated scams.