Recently, the DGA was made aware that a handful of members received emails advertising the availablity of a Cooke Panchro Classics Lens Set. The emails came from a non-DGA email address but out of an abundance of caution, we want to take this opportunity to raise awareness around the different types of scams and others like it — which are unfortunately becoming increasingly more common.
Often, scammers scour social media sites to determine an individual’s affiliation to organizations like the DGA and then search the web for their contact information and attempt to impersonate the organization or leaders of the organization to get them to divulge personal data or make purchases on their behalf. When receiving email, it is important to always use common sense, keen observation and healthy skepticism to make informed decisions regarding the validity of messages. Never open attached files unless you were expecting them, or click on web links in an unexpected or suspect email. Remember, email accounts can be stolen or hijacked by malicious users so exercise caution if you notice the following:
- Overly vague subject matter or unusual phrasing and/or multiple grammatical and spelling errors.
- An email that is missing a subject line or only containing a hyperlink or attachment.
- Questions regarding account details or contact information. Spoof emails may appear associated with legitimate websites or contain recognizable names and “phishing” emails can originate from stolen or spoofed email accounts, and “fish” for personal information or security credentials.
Legitimate DGA emails will only come from a dga.org email address, and you can call the Guild directly if you receive any suspicious inquiries. For more information on how to recognize and avoid email and text phishing scams please visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice page: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams.
If you believe you have received a suspicious email from the Guild, please contact the Communications Dept. at 310-289-5333.
- For a list of practical suggestions for your protection, click here to visit the Email Safety and Cyber Security page.
