Unusual emails: look closer
Summertime – it’s a time when we all take a breath, wind down & take five. It’s also a busy time for cybercriminals.
Many of us are returning to the office and catching up on all the unread emails - it’s always a time-consuming task trawling through the inbox. You are busy ticking off the ‘to do’ emails, catching up on bill payments, orders, requests & enquiries.
Online attackers work this angle to their advantage! You are busy, distracted and diligently addressing these tasks, a clever strategy to catch you out when you’re potentially not paying a great deal of attention to small details. Next thing you know, you’ve been caught by an online attacker.
If your email address has been spoofed, they maybe impersonating you or perhaps someone else, sending emails to people you know or who know you. When you receive an email from a trusted source that has been spoofed, the sender’s name might show up as someone you know BUT the email address does not match.
How can you spot a spoofed email? Firstly, were you expecting an email from this person or organisation? Is it asking you to click on a link? Is the spelling correct? Have they used your “name” or addressed you differently? Does the email read correctly and most importantly is it an email you would regularly receive?
The first thing you should do is STOP, take a moment, read it & then check it again.
If you are unsure if the email you have received is legit, contact the sender and confirm that the email you have received is from them.
Stopping your email from being spoofed to customers or contacts is your best protection. Talk to your IT provider to check your SPF, DKIM and DMARC settings are configured correctly.
Here are some helpful links:
You can report an incident to the Department of Internal Affairs anonymously to prevent others becoming victims to this type of criminal activity.
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