Warning- Be careful with opening links

[Seaport104]

I was contacted by what I thought was a potential renter via redweek. From the beginning, something didn't seem right. She was anxious to pay and get everything sorted out the same day for a reservation in July 2016.

She asks for my address so she can order a check through her bank online. I provided it with the rental agreement. Next email, she sends me a message to click on the link so I can verify if the details she entered for this check request is correct.

Fortunately for me, when I clicked on it, it was blank. Probably because I forwarded the email to my work email so I can view it and the firewalls at work blocked the virus.

I tell her I can't open it and she sends me an instruction to click "log-in". I didn't reply.

2 hours later I get an email from Redweek indicating not to reply to the redneck member an email that contacted me because it is not the real member. A member's email was hacked. According to Redweek, the link would have downloaded a virus to the computer and wreck all sorts of havoc.

Just a warning in case anyone else gets a similar message.

 

[glmyers]

Anyone in a rush to pay raises red flags for me. I certainly don't mind people paying promptly, but jumping through hoops to get money rarely works out well.

 

[billymach4]

I was contacted by what I thought was a potential renter via redweek. From the beginning, something didn't seem right. She was anxious to pay and get everything sorted out the same day for a reservation in July 2016.

She asks for my address so she can order a check through her bank online. I provided it with the rental agreement. Next email, she sends me a message to click on the link so I can verify if the details she entered for this check request is correct.

Fortunately for me, when I clicked on it, it was blank. Probably because I forwarded the email to my work email so I can view it and the firewalls at work blocked the virus.

I tell her I can't open it and she sends me an instruction to click "log-in". I didn't reply.

2 hours later I get an email from Redweek indicating not to reply to the redneck member an email that contacted me because it is not the real member. A member's email was hacked. According to Redweek, the link would have downloaded a virus to the computer and wreck all sorts of havoc.

Just a warning in case anyone else gets a similar message.

While I applaud, and thank you for the warning... But you put your employers network at risk by trusting their firewall. It appears your employer has a good firewall, but if they did not then a malicious hacker could have penetrated opened up a vulnerability. This is one method that hackers use to remove personal information.

I would advise you to make sure you have a strong firewall on your home network. Don't put your employers network at risk.

 

[taterhed]

I don't know what you use for computers etc... but I strongly advise using a good security suite (I use Norton and have for years) and making sure that windows UAC prompts are turned on (admin permission prompts for running programs on the computer).

ASC (Advanced SystemCare) is also a good program for protecting/maintaining your windows computer (IMHO). These programs (Norton and ASC) have stopped members of the family from inadvertently running programs or changing system settings a few times.

glad it worked out.

 

[glmyers]

Employer's Decision

While I applaud, and thank you for the warning... But you put your employers network at risk by trusting their firewall. It appears your employer has a good firewall, but if they did not then a malicious hacker could have penetrated opened up a vulnerability. This is one method that hackers use to remove personal information.

I would advise you to make sure you have a strong firewall on your home network. Don't put your employers network at risk.

It is up to the employer to make policies for personal devices and planning for them by doing such things as limiting them to a particular network (typically done virtually, but sometimes physically.) As long as company's policies were followed there is no need for the scolding about putting the network at risk. I say that as someone who works daily as part of an IT department.

 

[billymach4]

It is up to the employer to make policies for personal devices and planning for them by doing such things as limiting them to a particular network (typically done virtually, but sometimes physically.) As long as company's policies were followed there is no need for the scolding about putting the network at risk. I say that as someone who works daily as part of an IT department.

Its called an acceptable use policy (AUP). I am sure the OP's employer and the OP has read and signed.

If the OP for example works at a bank, health related company opening up a suspicious email on the company network exposed a possible risk to more people.

No doubt the link was a phishing scam.

My point is that these types of vulnerabilities are what opens the door to exposing millions of OUR personal records to the hackers. This is a contributing factor of many security breaches we read about in the headlines.