The International Transport Intermediaries Club has warned P&I to tighten payment checks after a fraudster diverted a US$200,000, reports Bangalore's Marine Insight.

The case involved a claim for a deceased seafarer. A third party intercepted email exchanges, posed as family members and provided false bank details. The P&I correspondent transferred the funds, which were later withdrawn and unrecoverable.

ITIC's claims director Mark Brattman said the incident showed how advanced payment interception fraud has become. He warned that requests to change bank details should be treated as serious warning signs.

Fraudulent emails are increasingly difficult to detect, Mr Brattman said. Mismatches between account names and payees or differences in the country of the bank account should be checked carefully.

Once the fraud was discovered, the correspondent informed the P&I Club. Legal advisers confirmed the claimant's identity and the shipowner paid the settlement again, covering additional legal costs to ensure the family received compensation.

ITIC confirmed the correspondent was insured and reimbursed for extra legal costs. The club said the fraud occurred because new bank details were not properly verified before payment approval.

ITIC has advised correspondents to use secure, multi-channel communication when confirming payment instructions. It stressed that bank details should be verified independently and urged stronger internal controls for settlements and high-value payments.