Navigating the Digital Waters: Guarding Against Phishing in the Business Ocean

The  Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce remains committed to safeguarding your interests and ensuring the security of your valuable information. Recently, we've become aware of a concerning issue affecting some of our members - phishing attempts aimed at extracting sensitive data.

The Threat at Hand

It has come to our attention that certain members have received unsolicited emails from a third party offering to sell a comprehensive list of our 1,000+ members. We want to make it explicitly clear that we have neither authorized nor will ever authorize the sale of our member list to any third party. We are here to address this issue and provide you with the necessary information to protect yourselves and your organizations.

Identifying Phishing Attempts

Phishing attempts are deceptive practices used by hackers to trick individuals into divulging confidential information. To help you recognize these attempts, here are some common indicators:

• Generic Greetings: Legitimate communications from the Chamber will always address you personally. If you receive an email with a generic greeting, exercise caution.
• Account Hold Threats: Phishing emails often claim your account is on hold due to billing problems. Be skeptical of such messages, and never click on any links or provide personal information without verifying the source.
• Payment Details Update Requests: Be wary of emails requesting you to click on a link to update payment details. Legitimate organizations handle such matters securely through official channels.
• Check Sender Information: Scrutinize the sender's email address carefully. Even if an email appears legitimate, scammers may alter small details, such as using a different domain. For example, we use @westmorelandchamber.com, not variations like @chamberexecutive.com or @westm0relandchamber.com. (zero instead of the letter o)

Collaborate with IT for Stronger Defenses

While blocking these senders can mitigate the risk, it's essential to collaborate with your IT department to implement additional safety measures against phishing attempts. Scammers are persistent, and having robust security protocols in place is crucial.

Verify, Don't Compromise

If you ever doubt the legitimacy of an email purportedly from us, please contact us using our known email addresses to verify the request. Rest assured, we will never ask you to pay for a member list. As a member benefit, you have FREE access to the entire member list via our online member portal.

Your Security Matters

Your security is of utmost importance to us. We appreciate your vigilance in safeguarding against potential threats. If you have any concerns or questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us.