Scammers are sending out more targeted email attacks against specific people, in a process known as Spearphishing.
State consumer protection director Michelle Reinen says the scammers specifically target people with the authority to make payments or have access to financial information. One common tactic of the scam is to pose as your boss’s boss.
“The CEO or president of the company asks you to send over some piece of financial information or confirm something, and then you hand over important information for the company.”
Reinen says the scammers will send people in charge of finances phony invoice or bills that need to be paid, while impersonating someone else in the company or organization.
“We’ve seen it with small towns that end up playing an invoice, and in their small town budget, they don’t necessarily have that money.”
Scammers are looking to capitalize on the idea that you might just blindly fill out an invoice or pay a phony bill without realizing it, she says.
“Don’t let the busyness of the day help you to fall off guard with these situations, and don’t ever click on links from unsolicited emails.”
She reminds people to always check who’s sending you a mail, and not to get complacent about responding to emails that seem out of the ordinary.
