It’s a new year and most people are officially back on deck and in the office.

This is just a reminder as we head into 2024 to be aware and vigilant of scam and phishing emails. Our IT team intercepted some phishing (scam) emails and marketing campaigns. Below are some examples of these. Whilst these look like legitimate emails from reputable suppliers and businesses; be aware that these are phishing (scam) emails inviting you to click on the link with malicious intent.

It appears that they are coming from the same scam campaign and domain.

Here’s a short list of tips we can share which might help you/your friends/workers/family avoid an unfortunate situation or #scam.

1. Don’t trust + verify:- Treat online interactions as you would a face to face one. If someone stopped you in the street and asked you for your ID/Pin code/Password etc, would you give it to them?
2. Slow down and think for a second:- Does this offer seem too good to be true, if so, it likely is. Is this interaction normal, does the timing feel ‘off’?
3. If someone contacts you saying they are from your bank (or telco, ATO etc), they likely aren’t. Hang up, then call the number on the back of your bank card/bill/statement.
4. If the scenario you find yourself in feels rushed/pressured, it should be raising a red flag to you. Hang up/disconnect immediately.
5. Don’t click on links from incoming SMS/emails. If you think it might be legit, find the company’s official URL and then head there for more information or use Virus Total to check the link for any suspicious or malicious files
6. Always check the URL. Even scammers pay for Google ads, duping you into downloading spyware/malware or trying to redirect you to a scam site.
7. If you see a post on social media advertising a get rich quick scheme that is ‘verified’ by a friendly celebrity, ignore it, it’s 100% a get POOR scheme.

For further tips and recommendations, reach out to the team @HKSRussell
t: + 61 7 3177 4120
e: advisors@hksrussell.com

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Charisse Russell - Articles