Some customers have reported being the target of a phishing attack being conducted via email. We’ve received reports that there is an email phishing scam currently targeting some of our customers. The email asks that customers upgrade their bandwidth because the inbox has reached capacity.
This email did not come from our company and appears to be originating from an address in Canada. I have attached a copy of this email so that everyone can see it.
Unfortunately, these attacks are fairly commonplace and nearly impossible to prevent. The goal of this attack is to gain access to a user’s email account and use that to access other online logins such as banks or other sensitive websites. Caution, due diligence, and a healthy dose of skepticism are the best for prevention.
If a user did click the link and enter their information into the phishing email, we are advising the following:
- Disconnect Your Device from the internet: The first thing you need to do is immediately disconnect the compromised device from the Internet. If you are using a wired connection, the easiest way to do this is to unplug the Internet cable (ethernet cord) from your computer. If you are connected through Wi-Fi, locate the Wi-Fi settings on your device and disconnect from the current network. If you cannot locate your Wi-Fi network settings on your device, then go directly to your Wi-Fi router and shut it off.
- Change the email password. Users should call us and we can assist with that process for RRT.net accounts.
- Make a list of any accounts that may reference that email account (e.g. Facebook, banks, retirement accounts)
- Change the passwords on all accounts that could be affected. More than likely, they have not been compromised. However, in the interest of security, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Proceed With Caution
Phishing text messages and emails have become a dangerous yet unavoidable threat in the digital age. Your best protection is to err on the side of caution and use the “delete” button on emails and texts that seem sketchy. Remember, a legitimate organization or business will never ask you to share sensitive, personal information via insecure channels like email, text or pop-up messages. If the message is truly important, the sender will attempt to contact you through verified methods like telephone or snail mail.
