Don’t fall for this ‘White House’ phishing email

July 2, 2017

By Mark Jones

Cybercriminals have been stepping up their attacks lately. That’s why we have to be prepared for anything. Another massive cyberattack spread across the globe again last week.Fraudsters have no shame and will sink to the lowest levels to find new victims. There is a new scam that you need to know about. A phishing email purporting to be coming from the White House is making the rounds.

Watch out for this phishing email

The latest phishing scam comes in the form of a fraudulent email, claiming to be from the president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump. The message claims that the email’s recipient is due a large sum of money that was recovered by the U.S. Embassy from the government of Benin Republic.A check in the amount of $50,000,000 is scheduled to be delivered to the recipient’s address. To receive the check, you need reply to the email with personal details, including:

• Full name
• Residential address
• Mobile number
• Fax number
• Occupation
• Sex
• Age
• Nationality
• Country

The message also includes a mobile number with a 202 area code, Washington, D.C., that you can text for more information about your delivery. Clearly, the scammers behind this email are trying to get your personal information so they can cause havoc.Here’s a screenshot of what the email looks like. Can you spot all the errors tipping you off that it’s a scam?

Image: Example of ‘White House’ phishing scam.

Of course, this email is ridiculous and no one should fall for the scam. However, as we know from previous outrageous scams, some people will fall for almost anything.Who could forget the infamous Nigerian Prince scam? That’s the one where victims received emails claiming to be from someone related to a Nigerian Prince and needed help transferring money out of the country. Almost $13 billion dollars was lost on that scam in 2013 alone.These types of scams normally originate with a phishing email, so it’s a good idea to know how to spot one. Continue reading for suggestions.

How to protect against phishing attacks:

• Be cautious with links – If you get an email or notification that you find suspicious, don’t click on its links. It could be a phishing attack. It’s always better to type a website’s address directly into a browser than clicking on a link.
• Watch for typos – Phishing scams are infamous for having typos. If you receive an email or notification from a reputable company, it should not contain typos. Take our phishing IQ test to see if you can spot a fake email.
• Use unique passwords – Many people use the same password for multiple websites. This is a terrible mistake. If your credentials are stolen on one site and you use the same username and/or password on others, it’s simple for the cybercriminal to get into each account. Click here to find out how to create hack-proof passwords.
• Set up two-factor authentication – Two-factor authentication, also known as two-step verification, means that to log in to your account, you need two ways to prove you are who you say you are. It’s like the DMV or bank asking for two forms of ID. Click here to learn how to set up two-factor authentication.
• Check your online accounts – The site Have I Been Pwned allows you to check if your email address has been compromised in a data breach.
• Have strong security software – Having strong protection on your family’s gadgets is very important. The best defense against digital threats is strong security software

Note: If you are reading this article using the Komando.com App, click here to see an example of the phishing email.

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