Stay Smart and Away from Scams!
New phishing scams are popping up every
day, catching even the smartest techies in their snares! Only just last
week, the IRS warned that a new one has been reported,
involving scammers posing as professional associations for the purposes
of tricking users into disclosing usernames and passwords.
ASPA has heard from some of our Chapter
and Section leaders with reports of being phished or scammed, providing
financial information—and in some cases actual payments!—to scammers
posing as ASPA or one of its affiliates.
Be aware: Scammers are crafty! If you
receive a message that seems to be ASPA-related but you are unsure of
its origins, contact us to find
out if the message is legitimate before you reply, click or provide
information. That said, make sure you send us a new message instead of
replying to the one you received; phishers can and will pretend to be
anyone just to get you to react!
Here are a few tips to tell if you are being targeted for a scam:
- You are being asked to click on or open an attachment from a suspicious message
- A link in an email contains a misleading domain name
- The message is badly written with poor grammar
- You are being asked to provide personal information (passwords, credit card numbers, answers to security questions)
- You didn't initiate the action
- The message appears to be from a government agency
- You are being asked to send money to cover expenses
The final bullet above (sending money)
has happened to Chapter and Section leaders multiple times in the past
few months. Please make sure all inquiries regarding payments due are
legitimate before you act on them. If your Treasurer needs help in
recognizing the signs, encourage them to sign up for an anti-phishing
class and get educated right away.
The best way to fight scams and avoid
being phished is to know the warning signs and take precautions. Make
sure you and your colleagues take time to get educated on this important
subject.