Your Guide to Account Security: Spotting & Reporting Scams

Your account security is our top priority. To help you stay safe, it is crucial to recognize fraudulent “phishing” attempts. Phishing is when scammers use fake emails and “spoof” websites—designed to mimic our official ones—to trick you into revealing personal information.

How to Spot a Phishing Email

Scammers work hard to look legitimate, but there are several red flags to watch for in your inbox:

• Urgent or Alarming Messages: Scammers create a false sense of urgency. Be wary of messages with alarming claims like, “Your account has been disabled. Change your password now!” or offers that seem too good to be true.
• Requests for Confidential Information: We will never ask for your password, bank account details, or full credit card information via email. We only send password reset links if you specifically request one from our official login page.
• Suspicious Sender Address: Always check the "From" address. Official emails from us will only ever come from an address ending in @afors.com. Be suspicious of any variations or emails from public domains like afors.support@hotmail.com.
• Poor Spelling and Grammar: Many phishing messages contain spelling mistakes, bad grammar, or use awkward phrasing. These are common signs of a fraudulent email.

How to Spot a Spoof Website

Before entering your password or any personal details, always check the website address in your browser:

• Hover Before You Click: In an email, you can hover your mouse over a link (without clicking) to preview the actual web address it leads to. If the destination URL looks suspicious, do not click it.
• Verify the Secure Connection (https): A secure URL must always begin with https://. To confirm the site's status, click the site controls icon to the immediate left of the web address (this often looks like a padlock, but in chrome looks like O-- ️). A dropdown menu should appear, showing a padlock icon and stating that the 'Connection is secure'.
• Verify the Domain Name: A legitimate login page will be at a URL like https://afors.com/login. Scammers use tricky subdomains to fool you, like afors.com.fake-site.com. Ensure our official domain name is the last part of the address before the first slash.

Found a Scam? Here's What to Do.

If you receive a suspicious email or land on a questionable website, follow these steps:

1. Stop. Do not click any links, download attachments, reply to the message, or provide any of your information.
2. Report It to Authorities. Help protect the community by reporting the phishing attempt to the appropriate services:
   • Google Safe Browsing
   • Netcraft
   • UK Government: report@phishing.gov.uk
3. Inform Us. Please forward the suspicious email or a screenshot of the spoof website directly to our customer service team. Be sure to include the fake URL. Our specialised team will investigate and take action to have the fraudulent site shut down.