Posted on April 19, 2024 by admin
Phishing scams are dangerous and tricky. A lot of damage can be done in a short amount of time and it is critical to be aware and be prepared. Dealership have become an easy target for scammers because the volume of customer interaction is so high. Mix in the increased amount of digital transactions for buying vehicles, dealership personnel have to incredible diligent to avoid risking data.
Are Phishing email scams really that dangerous? The short answer is yes.
Phishing scams are a form of identity theft and can cause you to lose access to some of your most critical online accounts. This could leave your personal information vulnerable to be used to open new bank accounts, request new account identifiers (such as PIN numbers), create fraudulent online purchases, and more.
Being prepared to spot the signs of a phishing email is a critical step to your cyber security.
Here is a list of things to look out for which are potential signs of a phishing email scam:
1. Unexpected attachments
2. Inconsistent URLs
3. “Action Required” – requests to update information
4. Misspellings and poor grammar
5. Elements of the email seem “off” or look visually different than usual
6. W-2 form request
7. An email from the CEO
8. “You’ve Won a Contest” verbiage
9. A tone of desperation
10. Blurry logos or graphics
Most importantly, trust your gut. Phishing emails work because they typically focus on a few main techniques which often grab our attention: immediate action, fear, and confusion. Most unexpected situations are rarely a true emergency, but online scammers use the power of fear to trick users into giving away access to their critical information.
Examples of subject lines that prompt a quick response:
• Twitter Security Alert: new or unusual login
• Your Amazon Prime account: Action required
• Important security updates required
Another form of a phishing scam is an email disguised as routine notifications from an organization, business, and service you use. This approach is more difficult to detect because users are not surprised to receive a notification from a business they already use.
Examples of Subject Lines that use disarming tactics through familiarity and routine:
• Changes to your health benefits
• Apple Pay: Payment Confirmation
• Microsoft: file delivery confirmation
Determining which emails are safe and which are not:
How can you determine what is really a legitimate email notification from a business and what is a potentially dangerous phishing email? Formatting is everything. Oftentimes, a phishing email will just seem a little “off.” The logo may appear blurry, things might be misaligned, and the email may not be personalized to you.
Here is a list of items to look out for:
• The sender’s email address is not formatted correctly or doesn’t match the company name
• Email elements are misaligned, blurry, or just seem “off”
• Prominent links or buttons without context
What to do if you receive a Phishing Email
• Do not open the email if the subject line is suspicious
• Delete the email right away
• Do not click links, embedded links or download attachments
• Don’t reply to the sender
• Inform your IT department and others (Pro tip: take a screenshot to help others identify phishing scams)
What to do if you have opened or clicked on an email phishing scam:
• Turn off Wi-Fi and disconnect from the internet
• Contact your IT department
• If you clicked on a link to a fraudulent website, write down any information you entered
• Change your passwords
• Scan your computer for viruses or malware
3.4 billion phishing emails are sent each day. That’s 3.4 billion opportunities to put your knowledge to work. These scams continue to be harder to identify so dealerships must be diligent in identifying these to protect the dealership, your peers, and yourself.
If you have any additional questions regarding phishing emails or want personal training, please reach out to the One View Support team, available Monday – Friday 8AM to 7PM EST. Call 1 (800) 923-8439, email support@one-view.com.