Be on the lookout for USD Wire Transfer hoax emails that began appearing in inboxes Tuesday (AEST). The simple emails claim to contain a payment confirmation, however the attachment is in fact a payload designed to execute malicious material when opened.
While for many, the mere mention of a Wire Transfer in the subject line will be enough to sound alarm bells, it is frightening to consider that many others are still often curious and may just be tempted to click through to take a look. Doing so could have devastating consequences, putting your data, your team and even the continuity of your business in jeopardy.
In an update to the campaign on Wednesday (AEST), the MailGuard team began intercepting what appears to be a variant on the same scam, with a newer email subject line now referring to a 'Payment Transfer Receipt.' See below. The remainder of the scam remains the same.
MailGuard urges all email users to be vigilant when accessing their inboxes, and to look out for tell-tale signs of malicious emails.
How can I protect myself from these types of email scams?
To reduce the risk of being tricked by one of these scams, you should immediately delete any emails that:
• Seem suspicious and ask you to download files or click any links within an email to access your account or other information.
• Are purporting to be from businesses you may know and trust, yet use language that is not consistent with the way they usually write (including grammatical errors)
• Ask you to click on a link within the email body in order to access their website. If unsure call the company/person directly and ask whether the email is legitimate.
Don't get scammed
If your company’s email accounts aren’t protected, emails like the one above are almost certainly being received by your staff. Cybercriminals know people can be tricked; that’s why they send out millions of scam messages and put so much effort into making them look convincing.
People are not machines; we're all capable of making bad judgement calls. Without email filtering protecting your business, it’s just a matter of time before someone in your organisation has a momentary lapse of judgement and clicks on the wrong thing.
For a few dollars per staff member per month, add MailGuard's cloud-based email and web filtering solution to your business security. You’ll significantly reduce the risk of new variants of malicious email from entering your network. Talk to an expert at MailGuard today about your company's cybersecurity needs: expert@mailguard.com.au
Keep up to date on the latest email scams by subscribing to MailGuard’s weekly update, or follow us on Twitter @MailGuard.
