The Sheriff's Office has received intelligence of a “phishing” scam that is going around using the email address of the Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Coordinator. The email message states that a contract is in the process of being terminated with an invoice attached for the recipient to review.
“Phishing” is a spin on the word fishing, because scammers are using a fake email that appears to be from a legitimate source with the hope that the recipient will “bite” by providing information such as credit card numbers, account numbers, passwords, usernames and more.
The Sheriff’s Office would like the community to be aware of “phishing” email scams. Here are a couple of clues to help your identity these types of emails:
• Lack of personal greeting or customized information within a message
• Requests you to confirm or provide personal information
• Includes scare tactics or urgent requests to respond
• Misspelled URLs, spelling mistakes, or the use of sub-domains
• Links within the body of the email message
• Email includes suspicious attachments
If you suspect your email is a phishing scam, here are a few safety tips you can follow:
• Do not open the email. You may compromise the security of your information by opening the email
• Delete it immediately
• Don’t give personal information
• Do not download any attachments
• Never click on the links that appear in the message. Links embedded may direct you to fraudulent websites
• Do not reply or forward the email
Again the Sheriff's Office would like to remind citizens NOT to give money or personal information over the phone or email. If you have information or have fallen victim to this scam, please contact your local law enforcement agency.