Avoid Phishing Trips this Summer

Avoid Phishing Trips this Summer – Tips from Northwest Bank to Defend Yourself from the Latest Summertime Cyber Scams

August 16, 2023

Summer is winding down and many are planning for last-minute getaways and vacations. With this uptick in travel, cybercriminals are embarking on “phishing trips” and impersonating real organizations in an effort to obtain personal data or money.

In a popular summer-themed “phishing hook,” cybercriminals are using phishing scams to direct individuals to malicious or suspicious vacation-themed links and/or website domains.

Another summer cyber scam involves cybercriminals impersonating an organization’s HR department by sending a fake email announcing a new open vacation plan that only some employees are eligible for. The email will then direct someone to click a link to find out if they are one of those eligible employees. If the person clicks the link, they will be directed to enter their work email and password – allowing cybercriminals easy access to the person’s work email and the organization as a whole.

According to Northwest Bank’s fraud and cybersecurity experts, the following tips can help consumers stay safe from similar scams:

• Look for red flags such as an email sent outside of work hours.
  
  
• Avoid clicking links in suspicious emails, text messages or landing pages.
  
  
• If an unexpected email is received, be sure to verify its legitimacy with someone within the organization – don’t reply to the email, and in this specific instance, contact a manager or the point person in HR directly.

Northwest Bank customers can report phishing scams directly to information security at PhishAlert@Nortwest.com. To learn more about Northwest Bank’s cybersecurity tips, please visit: https://www.northwest.bank/security-center/.