Trust Your Spider Sense-A Warning on Phishing
I received one of the most disturbing emails of my life today. It seemed to be from my closest friend and about my only child. Below is a screen shot of the email.
Seems harmless and benign right? Well, my spider sense immediately started to tingle and although my heart was leaping at the thought of receiving news of my daughter, I resisted the urge to click on the provided link. Instead, I took to Facebook Messenger and asked my friend Joe if he had indeed sent the email. He immediately responded with "That is not from me".
You are probably still wondering how all of this is disturbing.
First, I have spent the last two years trying to locate my daughter. I know through various sources that she is alive, married, no kids yet, and is most likely living somewhere in Ohio. But she is still lost to me because with no warning, she cut off all ties and disappeared the day she got married. So, by now, I hope you can see just how many emotions this simple little email stirred up. How in the world did the sender know the one subject that would most likely tempt me into following the link?
Second, They used the name of my friend. Joe and I have a specific way that we communicate and email has never been a part of it. But why pick Joe? How did they know to use my best friend and lost daughter? Do they really know that much about my life?
One may assume that the hacker got their information from my Facebook page, such as my friendship with Joe, but there is zero mention of my daughter there. I've heard of Facebook, corporate, and generalized email phishing but to use a person's child and friend within the same attempt, I think, takes it to a whole new level.
Please be careful out there people. Second guess every friend request and email. You never know who or what is waiting on the other side of that seemingly innocent "click". Trust your inner voice, your gut, your spider sense. It could save you a mountain of trouble and hackers are getting slicker with each attempt. They will never stop, so we have to be ever vigilant.
You are probably still wondering how all of this is disturbing.
First, I have spent the last two years trying to locate my daughter. I know through various sources that she is alive, married, no kids yet, and is most likely living somewhere in Ohio. But she is still lost to me because with no warning, she cut off all ties and disappeared the day she got married. So, by now, I hope you can see just how many emotions this simple little email stirred up. How in the world did the sender know the one subject that would most likely tempt me into following the link?
Second, They used the name of my friend. Joe and I have a specific way that we communicate and email has never been a part of it. But why pick Joe? How did they know to use my best friend and lost daughter? Do they really know that much about my life?
One may assume that the hacker got their information from my Facebook page, such as my friendship with Joe, but there is zero mention of my daughter there. I've heard of Facebook, corporate, and generalized email phishing but to use a person's child and friend within the same attempt, I think, takes it to a whole new level.
Please be careful out there people. Second guess every friend request and email. You never know who or what is waiting on the other side of that seemingly innocent "click". Trust your inner voice, your gut, your spider sense. It could save you a mountain of trouble and hackers are getting slicker with each attempt. They will never stop, so we have to be ever vigilant.
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