Follow“Fishing is fun,” says Kevin E. Thompson CPA “But PHISHING is dangerous. ”Phishing is when a scammer sends an email that makes you think it’s from a reputable company. They can replicate a company’s branding to trick you into giving them important information. If you think you’ve received a phishing email do not click on any of its links. Instead, go to your browser’s address bar and type the company’s main domain. Scammers often use well-known banks and other financial institutions to phish. One company that has recently been targeted is Quickbooks.
You may receive an email with a subject line that reads “Quickbooks Support: Change Request.” It asks you to confirm that you’ve made a change to your business name with Intuit, the company that owns Quickbooks.
This is also called “click bait” When you click on a link in the email, scammers can download harmful malware to your device. They can then collect your passwords or financial information and steal your identity.
A good rule of thumb is to never click on links in the emails of financial institutions, even if you think it’s real.
Ways to identify phishing emails
Check the reply email. If it does not come from the main domain of the company (company.com) it is probably not legit.
Hover over the link to find its destination URL. It should also point to the main domain of the company. It’s easy for scammers to create variations of a link, by putting the company name at the end of the link (accompany/company.com) or in addition to the domain name. (almostcompany.com)
If a company you do business with normally contacts you through the mail and then starts sending unsubscribed emails or texts, be suspicious. For instance, the IRS will only contact you through the mail, and never by phone, text, or email.
Be care of emails that are generic in nature and do not contain valuable information.
Just because an email looks real, don’t assume it is. A scammer can easily fake logos, other brand images, and even the “sent” email address.
Educate employees to be careful about clicking suspicious email links. If in doubt, ask someone. Otherwise, your company could be the victim of a costly mistake.
As Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on Hill Street Blues would say “be careful out there..”
Contact Kevin Thompson CPA
kevin@kevinthompsoncpa.com or call him @ (310) 450-4625 x102
