Today at 2:11 PM I received an email that had as a subject: Report #0737633. The email sender was noted as Sherry Lavender. The email stated that a document I had requested was ready for me and that I had to sign for the document through “Docu-Sign.”
I immediately smelled a rat.
I called the County Manager’s Office and spoke to April Crotts. I asked April if there was a Cleveland County employee named Sherry Lavender? April confirmed there was a Sherry Lavender that worked in the “Tax” Department. My second question to April was what would Sherry Lavender be sending me a document that required signing through some sort of Docu-Sign app?
April immediately said, don’t open that email. Sherry Lavender has had her email address hacked and the county IT Departments says not to open that email.
I said to April, “Thank you” and immediately deleted that email.
April did not tell me if any other county email addresses were hacked. But I am assuming that all county emails are suspect until further notice.
I would suggest that anybody receiving a suspicious email from a Cleveland County employee and official, DO NOT open that email. Call the person that sent it. Call 704-484-4800 and ask April to connect you with the person sending you that suspicious email. Otherwise, YOU may get hacked too.
Or worse yet. You might find your bank account unfairly garnished like Mr. Willie Green!!!