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Fellow Sirs
This message is to alert you to a recent email scam some of us are encountering.
The recent scam message says (text in italics may vary):
Are you available for assistance? I'm out of the state now, and I have absolute confidence in you to handle this. The SIR San Francisco Branch 4 need electronic gift cards to make donations to Veterans in Hospice and Palliative care units to buy coronavirus disease (COVID-19) prevention items. I'm responsible for the reimbursement. Would you like further information?
(Big Sir - of the quoted branch)
This message raises several ‘red flags’.
1. Gift card requests: Genuine organizations rarely ask for payment or donations in the form of gift cards. Be cautious if an email requests gift cards or non-traditional payment methods.
2. Sender's email address: Pay attention to the sender's email address. If it seems unfamiliar or unrelated to the organization, it could be a sign of a scam. The email above came from info@claracadenaba.com which doesn’t look like a typical email address for a Sir!
3. Awkward grammar: Scammers often have poor grammar or use awkward sentence structures. If an email contains noticeable grammar mistakes, it may not be legitimate.
Stay vigilant and pause before taking any action on these or any other suspicious emails. Trust your instincts and reach out to trusted individuals within SIR for guidance or verification.
… and… NEVER click on a link in a suspicious email.
Quick quiz:
Here's another message, received today by a Sir, apparently from a former President! What's wrong with it? Do you see 2, or more, red flags? (the URLs are 'neutered' to prevent anyone from activating something bad!)
Header: two photos to you from Sir XXX
(The message read:)
Just wondering if you can recall those two HTTP://fuzuk.pennui.com
Warm regards,
Dave Gonzales
President, SIRinc 2023
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