Don’t click on that link!
An email phishing scam targeting attorneys claims to contain a disciplinary complaint. It doesn’t.

By JAMES CARLSON

No, in case you wondered, our office has not emailed you regarding a disciplinary complaint.

Colorado attorneys should be aware of an email phishing scam that has reemerged in several states around the country, including Colorado. In one such instance, the email comes from "The Office of The State Attorney." (No such office exists in Colorado.) The body of the email reads, in part, "Dear Bar Member: A complaint has been filed against your Business. You have 10 days to file a rebuttal if you so desire." It then directs the recipient to view the complaint in a document attached to the email. 

To be clear: DO NOT CLICK ON ANYTHING WITHIN THE EMAIL. The links and/or attachments contain Ransomware, a malicious software that locks a user's hard drive and demands a digital payment to return control to the owner. Delete the email immediately from both your inbox and your deleted folder. 

The Office of Attorney Regulation Counseldoes not notify attorneys of disciplinary complaints via email. If this office has received a complaint about an attorney, our staff will notify the attorney by telephone or U.S. mail. If you have any questions about an email purporting to come from our office, please call us directly at (303) 457-5800. 

For further information about how to deal with suspicious hyperlinks inside emails, read "Links That Lie" from this summer's OARC Update.

James Carlson is the Information Resources Coordinator with the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.