In light of the recent phishing attack which used the Barbados Revenue Authority as the source of the email, Barbadians are being advised to be alert when they receive unexpected emails from reputable or financial institutions.
This advice has come from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Information.
Phishing may be defined as the fraudulent practice of sending emails or other messages claiming to be from reputable companies in order to persuade individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
The Ministry said one of the most common ways phishing occurs is by the use of storytelling to lure users to click on a link or attachment. This could include use of a fake invoice; asking persons to confirm personal information; claims that there is a problem with an account or payment information; notification of a suspicious activity or log-in attempts; and asking persons to click a link to submit a payment.
Some do’s and don’ts which the Ministry recommends to people who receive such emails are:
Do’s:
- Call or forward the email to the financial institution’s fraud department to confirm its legitimacy.
Don’ts:
- Never click links in unexpected emails or those from unknown sources.
- Never provide personal or account information on unsecured websites or media sites.
The Ministry further advises that if anyone has been a victim of any of these scams to report them to The Barbados Police Service.