Cybersecurity alert: watch out for emails impersonating Consumers International and other organisations
InfoCons – Consumer Protection, the only organisation in Romania with full member rights in Consumers International – the global federation of consumer organisations – is passing on to consumers and to its members a cybersecurity warning received from Consumers International. Like many organisations, Consumers International is a target for cyber threats and has strong measures in place to protect its digital systems and staff, measures that are kept under constant review to ensure they remain robust. At the same time, external actors may attempt to impersonate Consumers International – and indeed other organisations – in order to manipulate or deceive the public.
Why it matters
Cybersecurity has become a core and disruptive issue for non-profit organisations. Impersonation attempts can take many forms, but the most common are by email: messages that appear to come from a trusted organisation while concealing a fraud attempt. The vigilance of each of us is the first and best line of defence.
How to spot a suspicious email
While impersonation attempts can take many forms, here is what to look for in a suspicious email:
- Always check the sender’s email address, not the display name. Consumers International’s official emails end in @consint.org (example: [email protected]).
- Watch out for poor phrasing and for grammar and spelling errors.
- If the message contains an attachment or a clickable link, double-check the real sender address before opening it.
- Pay attention if the website address does not display the letter “s” in “https://” – its absence may indicate an unsafe page.
Four simple signals that help you recognise a fraudulent email.
What to do
Remain vigilant in identifying potential threats, and do not engage with any suspicious communication claiming to be from Consumers International. Do not click links or open attachments in messages you are unsure about, do not share personal or financial information, and when in doubt contact the organisation directly through its known official channels.
Useful resources
Consumers International recommends the following resources to its members to help understand and mitigate the cyber threat:
- CyberPeace Institute and its resource centre;
- Cyber Threat Alliance and its resource centre.
Stay informed and take action with the InfoCons App
Being properly informed is the best consumer protection. Download the InfoCons Consumer Protection app to stay up to date with your rights, alerts and information campaigns – simple and free. Verify official sources before acting, and report any suspicious attempt.
Be informed! Take action! Know your rights and exercise them by calling 021 9615 from any landline or mobile network, or 9615 from any mobile network.