Don't Just Click!

They are trying to steal your data! 

I have personally been SLAMMED by emails that say "YOUR ACCOUNT HAS BEEN CLOSED" or " WE HAVE PUT A STOP ON YOUR ACCOUNT"! I have also gotten fake Amazon and Apple invoices saying I have purchased something...... these are ALL FAKE! The perpetrators want me to click on their link and enter my personal information so they can steal me blind!!!!!

Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails supposedly from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal/business information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.

Industry experts found the following the TOP CLICKED messages with phishing Fraud: 

Personal Messages: 

• Surveys - 39%
• LinkedIn - 55%
• Facebook - 28% 

Business Messages:

• Microsoft/Office 365: De-activation of Email in Process - 14%
• Dropbox: Document Shared With You - 8%
• IT: Scheduled Server Maintenance – No Internet Access -  7%
• Slack: Password Reset for Account

Just don’t click

Mark Carl, CEO at ControlScan, Merchant Processing Solutions' PCI Compliance provider for fraud protection for our merchants, cited threat intelligence and multifactor authentication as essential protections against malicious email attacks. Email is the primary tool we have in business, but it’s also the most high-value target for an attacker, especially if you’re using Office365 and/or SharePoint to store all your company files.

Following are some of the top 10 phishing subject lines:

• SharePoint: Approaching SharePoint Site Storage Limit
• Microsoft: Anderson Hauck has shared a Whiteboard with you
• Office 365: Medium-severity alert: Unusual volume of file deletion
• FedEx: Correct address needed for your package delivery on [[current_date_0]]
• USPS: Your digital receipt is ready
• Twitter: Your Twitter account has been locked
• Google: Please Complete the Required Steps
• Cash App: Your Account Has Been Closed
• Coinbase: Important Please Resolve Error Now
• Would you mind taking a look at this invoice?

High-cost attacks, low-cost prevention

FBI investigated more than $12 billion in losses in 2019 and that, according to IBM Corp. statistics, the average financial cost of a data breach is $3.86 million. Phishing attacks are growing at a rate of 65 percent a year.  In 2019 alone, 76 percent of businesses reported being victimized by phishing schemes, and Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 30 percent of phishing attacks are successful!

What can you  do? 

• People should look at the sender's email address if it is not know, delete. 
• Make sure your personal email has Malware Protection along with Virus Protection
• Check into services that offer "phishing" software if you believe you are being attacked

• Businesses should look at add-on software for Microsoft Outlook that checks incoming emails for signs of ransomware, phishing and fraud. Business that use these add-on software will receive an email that shows signs of ransomware, phishing or fraud are automatically warned within Outlook and given reasons for the warning.
• Businesses should train their employees to understand what "phishing" looks like and what to do if they like there may be an attempt. Companies have used simulated attacks, to help them identify potential threats and email scams while demonstrating how easily attackers can gain unauthorized access to an organization’s network. 
• Phishing emails are frequently used as a delivery system for malware. Attackers embed links in emails that appear to be legitimate. ControlScan, the PCI Compliance Company used by Merchant Processing Solutions Inc, is a managed security service provider, and provides fraud protection services designed to meet specific requirements for most companies.

Merchant Processing Solutions Inc. partners with ControlScan to make sure our merchants' accounts  are PCI Compliant. That means our merchants have been educated and trained how to prevent fraud within their business transactions! As you can see from above, 76% of businesses are being attacked. Make sure it is NOT YOUR BUSINESS! Call us for more information on how to protect your company from phishing and other fraudulent acts! Call 954-938-2420