5 Dangerous Emails Scams to Watch Out For

Virtually no company is immune from phishing emails. In 2020, it’s estimated that 75% of companies around the world experienced a phishing attack, and 96% of those attacks arrive via email.

Email scams are always evolving as hackers gain more sophisticated technology and work to keep up with what’s going on in the world. Scammers will often create attacks that tie into world events, such as the pandemic or natural disasters like Hurricane Ida.

Business cybersecurity awareness training also needs to keep up with seasonal scams that come around every holiday or tax season. Then, there are also those scams that continue year-round such as fake password reset scams or shipping notices.

One of the reasons that it’s so important to have ongoing employee awareness training, and not just a one-time training, is because there are always new scams to be on alert for.

Below are several dangerous email scams going around right now that you and your employees need to watch out for. In most cases, the links in these emails take the user to a malicious phishing website designed to steal personal information or infect their device with malware.

Feel free to share and print out this list to help your employees avoid falling victim to one of these.

Fake Shipment That Needs Your Attention

It used to be that packages only arrived in the mail once in a blue moon. But due to the ease of online shopping today and the global pandemic, it’s not unusual for a business or individual to get several shipments a month of different items.

This has led to an email scam related to mysterious shipments that “need your attention.” This scam plays on the facts that:

• People like getting packages

• There are so many things ordered online that someone can easily think a scam email is about a legitimate order

This scam will use the logo and signature of a company like USPS or FedEx and claim that a particular shipment is waiting for instructions. It may even have a small amount due. The “shipment” is just a lure to get the person to click the link and enter credit card details to pay the nominal shipping fee it states is due. The scammer is actually stealing those credit card details.

“Update Your Payment Details” 

Imagine you’re planning on watching that new season of your favorite show on Netflix later and get an email stating that your account is suspended. It’s enough to get you to immediately click the link to find out what is going on.

Scammers that steal Netflix logins can then sell those on the Dark Web, which has led to the rise of this scam that’s commonly used for Netflix, but can also be used for Disney+, Hulu, and other subscription entertainment services.

Image courtesy of the FTC

This email scam claims that you need to update your payment details and that your account is on hold or suspended until you do. This link will take you to a spoofed login page that looks just like that of the Netflix site but is actually a trap.

Vaccine Research Survey

There is a lot of interest in vaccines for COVID-19 right now, and whether someone is for, against, or just waiting, they often crave information. This has led to a rise in various vaccine email scams, one of which is a fake vaccine survey purporting to be from Johnson & Johnson, one of the vaccine makers.

This scam looks like a quick survey that only takes a mere “30-seconds.” That’s all the time a scammer needs to infect your system with malware after you click the link. 

Don’t be fooled by any unsolicited emails related to COVID or any of the vaccines. These are running rampant right now.

Apple ID Purchase Scam

Few things elicit an immediate response as fast as an email that pretends to be a financial alert. This Apple ID scam claims that someone just used your Apple ID to make a purchase. It provides a link to report a fraudulent transaction, which of course will take the user to a phishing site. One that could be designed to steal their Apple ID for real.

If you see any types of alerts like this from your bank or any other online account, go to that account directly through its website or app to check into any potential issue, and do not use any links contained in the email. It’s also a good idea to quickly hover over the link without clicking. This often reveals a fake right away.

Hurricane Ida FEMA Scam

The devastation of Hurricane Ida was barely a week past when FEMA put up a warning on their site about scams related to the disaster.

One email and text message scam going around states that there is a FEMA program that gives people $8,500 in assistance. This is not true.

The goal is to collect personal data from people like their name, address, SSN, etc. that can be used for identity theft and sold on the Dark Web. The promise of immediate assistance often has people providing their personal information before they figure out the whole thing is a scam.

Are Your Devices Scam-Proof?

Some protections can be added to your device, like DNS filtering, which helps protect you from clicks on malicious links. BrainStomp can help you scam-proof your devices to help you avoid a data breach.

Schedule a free consultation today! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.