This past fortnight has seen a significant increase in the number of SCAM emails being sent to staff, and whilst email filtering does block the majority of these messages, it is impossible to stop them all.
SCAM emails target individuals with sophisticated and personalised messages, links to fake websites and malicious files, and requests to undertake tasks – all with the aim to compromise your user account and data or gain financial benefit (through the transfer of money, the purchase of gift cards, or the receipt and sale of sensitive information).
These messages can often appear to come from people you know such as family and friends, work colleagues, and official sources (myGov, your bank, etc). Please be vigilant and take the time to confirm the details for any emails that link to a website or file, contain direct file attachments, or make unusual requests.
Taking a moment to ask yourself a few questions can make a significant difference and reduce the risk of these emails causing harm:
- Do I know the sender?
- Is the senders email address correct?
- Am I expecting a file or a link to a website from this person?
- Would I normally expect to be asked for my login details on this website?
- Is this an unusual request or am I being asked to make a purchase or financial transaction?
Put simply… are you being asked to undertake a normal and anticipated activity or is it something slightly unusual or out of the ordinary that may benefit from a quick check before proceeding further?
If you do open a file attachment or click on a website link that you feel may not be legitimate, especially if you have provided your login details, make sure you contact the ICT support team on 444 for assistance and change your password immediately.