Two Territory businesses in the construction and real estate industries have fallen prey to online email scams, with both companies out more than $500,000 each, NT Police have said.

In the first instance, an unnamed building company was duped out of $550,000 on September 13, after it transferred the money to a fraudulent bank account, following what police called a “business email compromise scam”.

Then on October 20, another business was also subject to the “business email compromise scam” that saw that company transfer over $530,000 into a fraudulent bank account.

Detectives from the Cybercrime Unit are currently investigating both incidents, which at this stage are not believed to be connected, police said.

Police warned the business community to be aware of the risks posed through everyday emails used as part of personal and professional business and reminded everyone that cybercriminals are targeting Territorians.

“Scammers can be very good at impersonating accounts and addresses,” said Senior Constable Nadine Caulfield.

“If you are planning on transferring a large amount of money online, police recommend contacting the recipient directly to confirm payment details. This is a warning that online offenders continue to target the Northern Territory community.”

Cst Caulfield said that victims of online crime should report the matter to the police through cyber.gov.au.

“For more information on how to protect yourself online, visit becybersmart.nt.gov.au,” she said.