October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
Scam emails used to be easy to spot. Odd greeting, spelling mistakes, a prince with a banking problem. You could delete them without a second thought.
AI changed that. The same tools that help you draft a letter are helping criminals write emails that read like they came from your colleague, your supplier, or your EMR vendor. They can pull details about your clinic from your website and social media so the message feels personal. They can even copy a voice. Canadian authorities have already warned about scammers using AI-generated voice messages to pose as people in charge and ask for money.
Picture a Monday morning at the front desk. The phones are ringing, the waiting room is full, and an email lands from the doctor asking you to update a supplier’s banking details before noon. It sounds like her. It’s signed the way she signs. That’s the one we worry about.
If you’re not sure you’d catch it, you’re in good company. In a national survey this year, only 42% of Canadians said they felt confident they could recognize AI-generated content. We suspect even that is optimistic.
So here’s what we’d suggest.
Slow down when someone is rushing you. Scams lean on urgency because people in a hurry don’t check. If an email says it has to happen right now, that’s your cue to take an extra minute.
Look at the actual email address, and don’t stop at the name. Anyone can put your doctor’s name on an email. The address behind it is much harder to fake.
Before you move money or change payment details, pick up the phone. Call the person on a number you already have, or walk down the hall. It takes two minutes and it stops most of these cold.
And if something feels off, tell us! We are here to support you and protect you!
Our clients have email filtering and monthly awareness training running in the background, and they catch a lot. Still, the best protection is a person who stops and thinks, “that’s odd.” When that person is you, call the help desk. We’d much rather look at a harmless email than clean up after a bad one.