During the 2016 U.S. Presidential election cycle, the subject of terrorism was brought up repeatedly. It most certainly is a serious topic and it’s been used to induce fear, not only by the candidates, but it is also being used by cyber criminals who really want to get your personal information as opposed to your vote.
Spammers have sent out an email message claiming that it’s from the U.S. Department of Defense and that by reviewing an attached document, you too can be part of a civilian army to help thwart terrorist attacks. It claims to include information that the reader should study and apply the skills “religiously.” The email text even states that there are tips on how to detect an explosive device using a mobile phone just mere moments before detonation.
Obviously, this is not a legitimate document. It has many clues that it’s spam, including the British spelling of the word “Defence” in “U.S. Department of Defense” and several examples of misused English grammar, regardless of whether it’s U.S., Australian, or U.S. English. It also has a Gmail address as the contact email, which of course, would not be the case if it were an official U.S. Government communication.
Always look out for clues like these when receiving unexpected email that includes links or attachments. Even if it looks official or as if it is from someone you know or with whom you do business, it is no guarantee of the legitimacy. If you were not expecting it, contact the sender independently of the email and verify before taking any action. Don’t just hit the “reply” button, as it will just go to the spammers. Picking up the phone to call, sending a text, or walking to the sender’s office or desk are other great ways to verify these.
Spammers often use big, popular, or timely events to try to trick people into opening malicious links or attachments. Campaigns usually appear for events like the Olympics and World Cup tournaments, for popular TV series, such as with Breaking Bad a few years ago, and with events such as tax time or a natural disaster, or in this case, the presidential election in the U.S. Always have the phishing antennae up for these times.
There are many studies that show that inducing too much fear in people leads to potentially worse outcomes. This may be one of those examples that cyber criminals can easily exploit. So take some time to be 100% certain you really want to open the attachment. Turning and getting away as fast as possible is probably safer than getting out the phone to scan a bomb or perform some other task so close to when it is about to explode.
For banks and credit unions
Share this article with your members
Copy a ready-made summary and link for your newsletter, website or social posts.
