The town of Matthews is warning residents about a new Email ‘phishing’ scam that is spreading around the area from foreign hackers claiming to be from the Matthews Police Department.
The fake Emails have been asking residents to pay overdue invoicing, and threaten heavy fines or even jail time if they’re not paid. If you do click on the link, it will take you to a ‘phishing’ site, which hackers can use to install viruses or malware on your computer.
The Matthews Police posted a very clear message on their Facebook page saying that they will NEVER send out emails about past-due fines.
The Tech Republic article they posted highlights these 10 warning signs for spotting a phishing Email;
1: The message contains a mismatched URL
2: URLs contain a misleading domain name
3: The message contains poor spelling and grammar
4: The message asks for personal information
5: The offer seems too good to be true
6: You didn’t initiate the action
7: You’re asked to send money to cover expenses
8: The message makes unrealistic threats
9: The message appears to be from a government agency
10: Something just doesn’t look right
If you do receive an email asking for money, the Mattews police are warning people to never click the link, but instead either delete the Email or call police at 704-847-4411.
Please pay attention, and please help spread the word!