BEAUMONT, Texas — The Jefferson County Appraisal District (JCAD) is sending a warning out to residents after one of their employee's email account was hacked.
The scammer used the email account to pose as a reputable appraiser in order to get valuable information.
"Where they'll use terms, and wording to make it sound urgent, and get your attention and you have to do this or there's going to be consequences. And what they're trying to do is to get them to overlook the red flags and to go straight into action," said Vice President of Grinnell Computers & Security Michael Hendrix.
This was the tactic used by the scammer of the appraisal district's email.
"Asking you to contact us promptly for the attach proposal, and I can see where there can be confusion on that. Because tax payers can be thinking that it's some kind of value reduction," said Jefferson County Appraisal District employee Angela Bellard.
The email doesn't say what the proposal is for and it is intentionally vague.
JCAD employees advise to not open the PDF.
"Please if you get the email do not open the pdf. We do not know what it contains. But this email is not coming from us. We have posted something on our website to alert tax payers," said Bellard.
If you have already clicked the PDF, turn your device off right away, but be prepared because the scammer already has your information.
"Now this can be information that's gonna be sold to a third party, to another hacker," said Hendrix.
The hacker might even be able to access your device.
"The worst possible thing that could happen to you is called ransomware, and ransomware is a case where they encrypt all of the data in your computer. They hash it out where it has to have a password," said Hendrix.
Hendrix recommends downloading the app Malwarebytes to check if your device is infected.
There is also a number listed in the email.
That number goes to an auto body shop that has nothing to do with the scam according to Bellard.
The Jefferson Central Appraisal District has reached out to a cyber security company for help.