On Wednesday morning, a massive phishing scam email was sent to hundreds of individuals across the region, the state and even nationwide.
The email asks the reader to open a PDF; however, when they do so, the file then grants access to the user’s computer for data mining and hacking.
A spokesperson for AEDV said they’ve been getting calls from citizens and government workers throughout Carson City and the region, but even from organizations from across the country that AEDV has never heard of before.
The State of Nevada as well as multiple municipalities were targeted and are in the process of fixing the issue.
Next steps:
If you opened this email and its attachment and you are part of a business or government agency, shut down your computer immediately and contact your IT department.
If you are a citizen and you opened this email and its attachment, immediately disconnect from the internet and any other linked devices. Delete the attachment from your computer if possible, then run a malware scan.
Reset all passwords both on your computer, and on any internet site that you have saved passwords for (i.e. the “autofill” type of password input).
You can see which passwords you have saved through your internet browser (safari, Chrome, etc.) or the “passwords” application on Mac.
If you need additional assistance, reach out to your computer support system (Apple, Microsoft, etc.)
If you have received this email but did not open the email attachment, do not open it under any circumstances. Delete it immediately from your inbox.
We will update with any new information if it becomes available.
