SCAM OF THE WEEK:

When Cybercriminals Ask for a Manager

Customer retention and satisfaction are vital to most organizations� success. Knowing how important this is, cybercriminals send fake customer complaints in hopes of catching you off guard. 

In a new phishing email, cybercriminals impersonate a member of your organization�s human resources or management team. The email addresses you by name, states �It is urgent request,� and tells you to call the sender immediately in regards to a customer complaint. Additionally, a PDF of the complaint appears to be linked within the email. If you click on the link, a webpage opens where you can download the customer complaint. Unfortunately, the file isn’t actually a PDF. Instead, it’s a dangerous piece of malware. 

Here�s how you can stay safe from similar scams:

• Think before you click. Cybercriminals exploit emotions, such as the fear or guilt of upsetting a customer, to trick you into clicking on malicious links.
• Watch for poor grammar and unusual phrasing in emails, such as �It is urgent request.� Emails from legitimate sources are more likely to use correct and natural language, such as “This is urgent” or “This is an urgent request.”
• Never click a link in an email that you weren�t expecting. If you�re not sure, reach out to the sender by phone to confirm the legitimacy of the email. 

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