How to avoid ‘spear phishing’ scams

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Hackers have been going phishing for years. They send an email that you click on, and it downloads malware on your computer. But now the FBI warns those schemes are getting trickier.

It’s called Spear Phishing, where the hack is targeted.

“Spear phishing could be an equal opportunity attack vector. They might attack an individual because they want to get into your bank account. They might also attach several individuals in a company because they want to get into the companies network,” said Special Agent Jesse Schibilia with the Richmond division of the FBI.

He says the hackers could deploy ransomware or they could be trying to go after a specific person inside a business to get access to that company’s secrets.

“So, something in your company’s network that is really really valuable. That they could use to gain an economic advantage or sell to somebody else who might really be interested in that information,” said Special Agent Schibilia.

You have to be careful about the links you click on in emails, Facebook messages, on other social media platforms - even the links inside of texts messages sent to your phone.

“If the email address looks suspicious or looks a little off - maybe it’s a good idea to give a phone call to the person who sent you the email. And if they talk to you and say I didn’t send you that email, maybe don’t click on it,” said Special Agent Schibilia.

And if you own a company, teach your employees from the mailroom to the corporate board how to spot suspicious emails and how to report them to your security department.

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