Springfield chamber warns members of email phishing scam

The Chamber of Greater Springfield has warned its members this about a potential email phishing scam.

At least seven members contacted the chamber to let them know about a suspicious email from an address at hoshyazebari@gmail.com, said Mike McDorman, president and CEO of the chamber. The chamber worked with its technology consultant, which recommended either blocking the sender or simply deleting the email.

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“It is not legitimate and not from anyone at the Chamber of Greater Springfield,” the chamber’s notice said. “This is what is known as a phishing attempt to acquire information from anyone who responds to the email.”

A phishing scam is typically an email or message designed to look like it’s from a reputable source, when that’s not actually the case. The scams are typically used to gain access to personal information, passwords and other information.

It’s the first time McDorman said he was aware of a similar potential scam that could affect chamber members, he said. As many as 4,000 recipients potentially receive emails from the chamber.

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“Obviously it’s some scammer trying to gain access to information,” McDorman said. “We wanted to make sure those who did receive the email did not open the email or respond to it in any way.”

He said he’s confident in the chamber’s security procedures but said it was important to notify the organization’s members.

“We’re very secure here and they were seeking someone that was less secure,” McDorman said. “That’s why today it’s very important that you have the highest security level you can have as a a business on your network because there are people doing this full-time.”

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