WELCOME TO THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD HEBREW CENTERCelebrating over 100 Years of Jewish Life on the Island
  • Home
    • HHD Sermons 5781
  • Upcoming Events
    • Racial Justice Reading Group
    • Tallit Session
    • Talmud Class
    • Meditative Morning Prayer
    • Amy Schwartz
    • Purim 2021
    • Recent Past Events >
      • Climate: Jeremy Benstein
      • MLK Service
      • Yiddish Songs & Havdalah
      • Hanukkah at MVHC
      • City of Joel
      • Yoel Sykes Shabbat
      • HHD Prep Class
      • Yiddish Story Reading Group
      • Jewish Book Festival >
        • Jewish Book Festival FLYER
      • Tot Shabbat
      • Tisha b'Av 2020
      • Rosh Chodesh/Summer Solstice
      • Shavuot 2020
      • Musical Shabbat with Yoel Sykes
      • Purim Celebration
      • Passover 2020
      • Film: 93 Queen
  • About Us
    • Recent Events & Photos >
      • Jan 24 Musical Shabbat Dinner >
        • Concert: Judith Merion
      • Jan 17 MLK Service
      • Dec. 8 - "Radical Judaism"
    • Our Rabbi
    • From the Rabbi's Desk
    • Our Leadership >
      • Jan 11 Havdalah on Ice
      • Officers, Trustees and Committee Chairs >
        • Dec 22 Hanukkah
    • MVHC Summer Institute
    • Board Documents
    • Calendar
    • Our Staff
    • Committees
    • Past MVHC Events
    • Leadership Planning Calendar
    • M.V. Hebrew Cemetery
    • Our History >
      • Historical Summary of MVHC
      • Purim Mock Wedding 1952
    • Remote Meeting - ZOOM Info
  • Learning
    • Religious School >
      • Bar & Bat Mitzvah
    • Talmud Class
    • 2019 HS Scholarship Winning Essay - Leah Littlefield
    • 2018 HS Scholarship Winning Essay - Lila Jasny
    • Words of Torah
    • Text Study
    • Diversity Dvar - JMN
    • Library
    • Videos / Photos
    • Video-Conference Instructions
  • Worship
    • High Holidays 2020 >
      • HHD Sermons 5781 >
        • Sermon Erev RH - Joy
        • Sermon RH AM - Telephone
        • Kol Nidre Sermon 5781
        • Yom Kippur Sermon
      • Rabbi's HHD Letter
      • HHD Musicians
      • High Holiday MUSIC
      • High Holiday Appeal
    • Shabbat Services >
      • National Refugee Shabbat
      • Tot Shabbat
      • Shabbat-by-the-Sea 2020
    • Music
    • Holidays >
      • Simchat Torah 2017
      • Purim Mock Wedding 1952
  • Community
    • Hunger Campaign
    • Houses of Grace
    • Social Action Corner >
      • COVID-19 Information
      • Current Notices and Announcements
      • All Are Welcome Here Poster
      • Refugee Crisis: How to Help
      • MVHC Racial Justice Project
    • Tikkun Olam
    • Tzedakah
    • Mitzvah Projects
    • Community Dinners
  • Donate
    • Annual Appeal 2020-21
    • MVHC Summer Institute
    • Hunger Campaign
    • Make a Donation
    • Pay on your account
    • Prayer Book Fund
    • Synagogue Funds >
      • Kiddush and Oneg Fund
    • Donations Policy
  • Membership
    • 2020 Annual Meeting
    • ChaverWeb
  • Contact Us
    • Find Us
  • School Calendar
  • Phishing
  • Newsletter
  • Biblical Archeology

Widespread E-Mail Scams Targeting Faith-Based Organizations
​and Local Government Employees

UPDATE ON THE PHISHING SCAM:
  1. Please see full text below from URJ partner Secure Community Network (SCN) with details about the current scam
  2. If your congregation was targeted (your rabbi’s email was copied and your congregants received requests for gift cards because the rabbi was supposedly in distress) it’s very important that you report it here to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at: ic3.gov The more people who report – clergy, staff, lay leaders, and congregants from the same congregation – the more data the FBI will have to work with. It is really hard to shut these scammers down, but more reports help.
  3. Learn more from this article: https://forward.com/news/national/439290/gift-card-email-scam-rabbi-clergy/


Overview

Over the last several weeks, employees of multiple local/municipal government and faith-based organizations, to include Jewish institutions, throughout the United States have received emails from individuals claiming to be members of the recipient’s organization or local community. There have been increased reports of these events over the last week.

In all reported incidents, the email begins with a request for a favor from the recipient. In incidents where the recipient has responded to the email, the sender claims to be unavailable, due to a meeting or other reason, and requests that the recipient purchase gift cards for a named retailer in specific monetary amounts. The sender further directs the recipient to provide the number and PIN information for the gift cards, via email, once the cards have been purchased.

In each incident, the email has been sent from a Gmail address created to mimic a legitimate organization email address. Additionally, all reported emails have contained signature blocks that are accurate to the institutions they are attempting to imitate.
A similar effort was reported by numerous organizations in July 2019.

CyberAttacks - Overview

The number of cyberattacks, to include ransomware demands and phishing emails, has risen steadily over the past few years. Hiscox, a global specialist insurer, conducted a review of cyber attack trends among firms spanning 15 business sectors, to include non-profit organizations, and found that in the United States in 2019, 53% of firms reported a cyberattack, as compared to 38% in 2018. They also found that smaller firms are increasingly likely to be targeted (47% reported one or more incidents in 2019, as compared to 33% in 2018).

Phishing techniques, and more recently, spear-phishing techniques, are common methods of cyberattacks. Such methods involve crafting messages, pretending to be sent from a trustworthy source, which in fact contain malicious links or documents allowing the cybercriminal to access systems and sensitive information. Spear phishing, which has become increasingly common in recent years, involves making malicious messages more personal, creating phishing emails with identifiable personal or corporate information. Under the guise of the messages being sent by a trusted source, the user is more likely to click on a malicious link or document.

Cybersecurity Best Practices
To ensure the safety and security of online information, the following steps are recommended:
  1. When someone is requesting the transfer of funds, the purchase of gift cards or the donation of things of monetary value, confirm the legitimacy of the request directly with the alleged sender through a means other than how you received the request (e.g., telephone the person to confirm the request if it was received over email).
  2. Always check email addresses to confirm that they are coming from the legitimate sender (not a fake account made to look real). Avoid any links or files shared by individuals that cannot be contacted outside of email correspondence.
  3. Never exchange sensitive information over email, to include passwords, PINS, or information that can be used as personal identification (e.g., birthdays, social security numbers)
  4. Use complex and unique passwords to prevent unauthorized account access. Two-level authentication, such as requiring a password and a text message to log in, can provide additional protection.
  5. Regularly update antivirus software, firewalls, emails filters, and anti-spyware to prevent unnecessary risk and criminal access.


Impact to the Jewish Community Recent events, to include the information contained in this report, demonstrate a continued interest by cybercriminals to target Jewish institutions, organizations, and interests with cyberattacks. Leadership and security personnel are encouraged to review and update cybersecurity policies and procedures on a regular basis in order to identify potential vulnerabilities, and train staff in recognizing potential harmful emails, links, and sites. SCN has been in touch with relevant partners and will continue to monitor events and provide updates, as necessary.

Resources
  • SCN Resource: How to Spot a Phishing Email
  • SCN Resource: Full Internet Header Resource
  • SCN Resource: Social Media Awareness
Report Suspicious Activity
Follow established protocols to report suspicious activity – to include contacting local law enforcement and/or the relevant suspicious activity reporting authority – and contact the SCN Duty Desk at DutyDesk@securecommunitynetwork.org or by calling 844-SCN-DESK.

Picture
Picture
Picture

Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center
Mailing address: P.O. Box 692
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
(tel) 508-693-0745

(fax) 508-693-1350  
Email us at office@mvhc.us
or admin@mvhc.us