Don’t Be Fooled by the Latest Email Scam

The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) is warning of a current really clever email scam.

How did the CBBB know about this email scam?

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) nearly fell for it.

Latest Email Scams

This latest scam pretends to be an alert from the project management software your company might be using. If you’re not careful or busy and preoccupied, there’s a good chance it will fool you. You’ll click on the email to respond to your manager, team project coordinator or another official sounding title the scam has used.

Once you open the email, you grant access to your computer or download malware.

Hackers can get personal details about employees, financial data, passwords, and even customer information if the data is stored on the same system.

Avoiding Workplace Scams

Avoiding workplace scams requires a comprehensive security policy across the entire organization with strict governance. Having a system in place to quickly report any suspicious activity and taking immediate action will mitigate serious damage to your business.

Because no matter how good the security system you have in place is, it will always fail if only one person doesn’t follow the protocols you have in place.

The BBB says always be suspicious of unsolicited emails. If you’re not sure about the email, confirm it by going directly to the website instead of clicking the email. Because once you click it, the damage is already done.

If you are at work and you receive an email to join any new groups, make sure you know it comes from within your company or another organization you know. Again, if you are not sure get in touch with the person who supposedly sent the invitation to verify it.

In addition to official invitations, scammers also use phony emails posing as messages from office scanners, printers, IT systems, and other software. With this approach, the scammers are looking to pass off a short email as harmless in the hopes you’ll click on it quickly without thinking.

Email Threats

The 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report from Verizon said almost half or 49% of malware in the workplace was installed through emails. According to the report, this is because workers couldn’t identify a phishing email.

In the report, Verizon warns, “Most attacks are opportunistic and target not the wealthy or famous, but the unprepared.”

If you are a small business owner, this warning is a wakeup call. Whether you are a sole operator or you have many employees, you have to increase awareness of the entire digital threat environment at all times. This includes knowing how to spot a phishing email.

What if you Fall for the Scam?

If you fall for the email scam and you open it, the BBB says don’t panic. According to the organization taking immediate action without thoroughly thinking it over is what the scammers want you to do.

The BBB says don’t give in to your fear, so thoroughly research what has taken place before you make any decision.

Consult your IT security expert if you have one. If you don’t have an in-house expert you can go to BBB.org/SmallBusiness for resources and advice.

While you are at it please report the scam and your experience at BBB.org/ScamTracker. This informs other small businesses about the scam so they won’t fall victim to it.

The ScamTracker is a great way to stay abreast of the latest scams being perpetrated by criminals across the country. If you want to learn more about scams you can go to the  BBB.org/ScamTips  and at BBB.org/PhishingScam.

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This article, "Don’t Be Fooled by the Latest Email Scam" was first published on Small Business Trends