Website Issues Critical Alert
In recent days, website members have received emails requesting payment from various Gmail addresses, including [email protected] and [email protected]. These emails, which originate from eba@our website, are very likely to be fraudulent and should be treated with extreme caution.
Here's why:
1. Use of generic Gmail addresses: Legitimate organizations or officials typically use official company or organizational domains, not free email services like Gmail, for important payment requests. Scammers often use generic email accounts to impersonate trusted entities.
2. Features of Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams: Fraudsters send emails that appear to come from trusted sources but are fake, asking for payments or sensitive information. They may spoof or create lookalike email addresses and use urgency or official-sounding language to trick victims into paying.
3. Mass emails from various @gmail addresses: Scammers frequently send mass emails demanding payments or making false claims, such as copyright infringement or service fees.
4. Typical red flags: Emails asking for payment without prior context or confirmation, urging urgent action, and coming from unusual or unofficial email addresses are common signs of scams.
Given these points, these emails should be considered a potential fraud attempt. It is crucial to verify payment requests independently before taking any action.
Important recommendations include:
- Do not respond to or pay any invoice from these addresses without independent verification. - Contact the organization or person they claim to represent through known, official contact details obtained outside the email. - Check for spelling or formatting inconsistencies, unprofessional presentation, or unusual language in the emails. - Report suspicious emails to authorities such as the FBI IC3 (for Business Email Compromise) or relevant consumer protection agencies.
It's essential to note that the sender of the emails, Boštjan Noč, is the President of the European Beekeeping Association, but he is not authorized to request payment on behalf of the website. Furthermore, the payment request is not a form of fraudulent activity, as it comes from a recognized party within the association. However, the payment request in these emails is not legitimate.
Lastly, the recipient is not advised to block the email, as it is not a potential threat to security. Instead, it's important to be vigilant and cautious when dealing with such emails. Always verify payment requests independently, and if in doubt, seek advice from trusted sources.
These emails should be considered as potential fraud attempts due to their use of generic Gmail addresses, mass distribution, and features similar to Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams. It is crucial to independently verify payment requests, avoid responding to or paying any invoice from the mentioned Gmail addresses, and report suspicious emails to authorities.
