Scam Alert: False Event Invitations

At Open Road we have begun to notice a huge influx of bogus “special party invitations” to a client’s email from a trusted friend or family member. However, these invites are not from your loved one! Instead, scammers and hackers are hoping you click on the RSVP button and install the downloaded file. If you do, you have just provided them with remote access to your computer! In one recent case we assisted with, the scammers were able to hide the remote software very well making this a complex breach to fix. If you ever see the mouse moving around on its own (and you haven't asked either of us to connect) you have likely had malicious software installed. If you do receive an unexpected and suspicious invitation via email, just delete it and do not interact with the email. But if you did click on the link, first disconnect from the internet before trying anything else. These scammers have the ability to black out your screen and stop you from trying to see what is going on. They can also shut off your mouse and keyboard and prevent you from using them. Then search your apps for ScreenConnect, AnyDesk, or similar remote viewing software. (Note that we use ScreenConnect to legitimately service your computer. If the install date corresponds to the day of the hack, then remove it.) Secondly, check your downloads for a file named RSVPPartyInvitationCard.msi or something similar. This is a remote viewer that had the file name changed to look more inconspicuous. Of course, you are always welcome to give us a call if you're uncomfortable remediating this attack. We’ve seen this to be a sophisticated hack, but thankfully we’ve dealt with it enough to know how to handle it and know where these people hide the malicious programs. If you fall victim to any sort of phish, or have questions if something is phishing, please don't hesitate to call us.