Integr8 Fuels, the bunker trading affiliate of UK-based tanker pool operator Navig8, has again fallen victim to a phishing scam. The UK-based Integr8 has informed customers that scammers have created a similar-looking website, and impersonated its staff to mislead customers.
In an emailed statement seen by HANSA today, Integr8’s management said: “Fraudsters have registered domains closely resembling our legitimate domain, integr8fuels.com, and are impersonating Integr8 employees to redirect customer payments to fraudulent bank accounts. “In a recent case, fraudsters used a lookalike domain, intergr8fuels.com, to send correspondence that appeared to come from genuine Integr8 contacts, together with altered payment instructions.”
At the time of publication, the fake website appeared to have been taken down. Integr8 emphasised that it will never ask clients to change its bank account details solely by email, without independent verification. To safeguard customers’ financial security and prevent any potentially fraudulent activity, Integr8 has urged clients to be cautious when receiving emails or communications related to payments, invoices, or account details. Customers are advised to check the domain name before making any payments.
Integr8 added: “Verify any change (in bank accounts) independently with your usual Integr8 contact, using contact details you already know to be genuine. Do not rely on phone numbers or contact details contained within the suspicious email itself.”
It is not the first time that scammers have targeted Integr8, which is perceived to be the world’s ninth-largest bunker trader, with approximately 9 million tonnes of marine fuels sold in 2025. In December 2023, scammers created two websites, integ8rfuels.com and integrf8uels.com, to dupe customers into settling invoices on the sites.
The issue of cyber security has become increasingly important in the maritime sector over recent years. As well as fake websites and phishing emails, the industry is also affected by falsified AIS signals and even artificially generated identities. At the MS&D, which took place as part of this year’s SMM in Hamburg, the topic therefore took centre stage. Maritime security will also be the focus of the HANSA Forum on 26 November, featuring, amongst other things, presentations by Steffen Lange, Head of Maritime Shipping Operations at the German Navy, and Gregor Krah, Managing Director of Cypurge, a company specialising in digital security. (PL)
