Legal threats make powerful Phishing Lures!
Some of the most convincing email Phishing and Malware attacks come disguised as communications from law firms or law enforcement agencies. Scams of this type typically notify the recipient that they are being sued or investigated and ask them to review the attached file or ELSE! Once those attachments have been opened, the scammer might demand information regarding account numbers and personal information or malware like Trojans and key stroke trackers can be downloaded to the victims computer. From that point forward, the Phisher will have access to your information, usernames, and passwords, account numbers and more.
Unfortunately, legitimate-looking legal threats can be scary, and many people don't think they could be the target of a Phishing scam at all, let alone one with the air of legal legitimacy on it. It's always best to never open attachments in emails you weren't expecting. If you are worried that the email might be legitimate, research the purported sender and reach out to them over the phone. If you have received a demand to verify information about account or credit card numbers, contact your bank directly or go to the nearest branch before you ever reply to such a request.
Also, it is very important to resist the urge to respond to the scammers directly by calling them out on their scam, or worse threatening them, as doing so may only encourage them to further malicious actions such as DDoS attacks, Doxing, or Negative Review attacks.
If you would like to learn more about Phishing scams please follow the link below, and as always keep your eyes here for more news and tips on keeping you and your loved ones safe.
FTC-How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams