Archives for September 2018

The bad guys are already testing their scams for the 2020 Olympics. They plan to send you a phishing email offering you tickets to the event or Olympic-themed gifts.

They will use social engineering tactics, such as placing the phrase “tokyo2020” in URLs or in their sender email address to trick you. Their goal is to compromise your computer or smartphone to access your bank account details.

The bad guys have over a year to perfect this scam, so you need to stay vigilant! Don’t click on links in event-themed emails, texts, or instant messages. If you are sent a suspicious email, delete the email or follow the reporting procedures put in place by your organization.

Let’s stay safe out there!

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled.

The bad guys are getting creative with a new hybrid attack that involves CEO Fraud and gift card scams.

There is a massive campaign underway where they impersonate an executive and urgently ask for gift cards to be bought for customers. Once the gift cards are physically bought from a store, the “boss” asks you to send them the redeem code/number via email or text.

Never comply with a request like this – it’s a scam! Always confirm a request with your boss over a live phone call or in person to make sure it’s not a scam. Sometimes it’s OK to say “no” to the boss!

Let’s stay safe out there!

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled.

Stay alert! The bad guys are now using CEO fraud and Business Email Compromise attacks more than ever.

These attacks take place when the bad guys impersonate executives within your organization via email and ask you to transfer them a large sum of money. They’re trying to manipulate you – don’t fall for it!

Instead, make sure that any request for a money transfer comes from the right person! Grab the phone and give them a call to verify that the request is legitimate. Better yet, communicate with them face-to-face about the request. They’ll thank you later!

Let’s stay safe out there!

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled.

Be extra cautious! The bad guys are using foreign characters to create phishing websites that spoof popular brands (Example: micròsoft.com instead of microsoft.com). Then, they use these websites to trick you into providing your personal information.

The latest phishing website scam is a contest for you to win “free tickets” from well-known airlines. They ask you a series of seemingly innocent questions and then tell you to share the free offer with 15 of your contacts before being directed to the URL where you can access the free tickets.

Don’t fall for this – there are no free tickets! Instead, you’re sending the bad guys your personal information and a list of more people to scam. Always check a website for any signs that it may not be legitimate, or type in the company’s web address yourself.

Let’s stay safe out there!

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled.