Beware of Email Scams – CAC

Jamaicans are being advised to be alert when using their email accounts.

Speaking at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ at the agency’s head office in Kingston, Information Technology Manager, Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC), Andrew Evelyn, said that compromised account scam is very popular among users.

“We use our email a lot and sometimes you might get an email that says, your account has been compromised or your password has been compromised and you need to click this link to fix it…that’s usually a scam,” said Mr. Evelyn.

He urged persons not to click the link, noting that once you do, you will feel compelled to change the password and if you do that, “then they have actually gotten your password for that particular website”.

Mr. Evelyn also informed that unscrupulous individuals are able to “mimic” almost any website in an effort to capture your information.

“So, what you need to do is to check the URL to ensure that the name of the business is spelt correctly, because oftentimes they have to use a different spelling, of say for example Amazon. They might put an ‘s’ at the end or they might spell Amazon wrong and that is how they mimic the particular website that you visit,” said Mr. Evelyn.

He emphasised that persons should also be cautious of other emails that they may receive, including those which speak to temporary holiday job offers, shipping of packages or donation to charities.

“You need to ensure that you protect yourself against these sorts of scams because once it gets your personal information, then they can create an identity and use your identity to commit crime,” he added.

The CAC is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce. Its role is to enforce the Consumer Protection Act and facilitate ethical behaviour in the marketplace between vendors and consumers.