Del Ray Business Association Hacked: Email Asking for Gift Cards is a Fake
Pay Close Attention to Sender's Email Address
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Del Ray Business Association (DRBA), known for its generosity and community efforts to organize events and giving campaigns for Alexandria businesses and neighbors during times of need, was recently hacked.
As a result, many members received “scam emails” made to look like they came from Sue Kovalsky, president of the organization.
In a press release issued today, the Del Ray Business Association soundly denounced the scam explaining, “Some of our members received targeted emails posing as Del Ray Business Association President Sue Kovalsky, requesting eBay, Target, or Macy’s gift cards to donate to veterans affected by COVID-19. While the email appears to be from Sue, the email address was not hers.”
As board member Gayle Reuter succinctly put it, “[I] can’t believe that somebody actually sent emails out from Sue and within the email talked about Del Ray Business Association. Hopefully the public knows how many awful scammers are out there.”
Less than a week ago Alexandrians rallied and raised $2.45 million for 156 nonprofit groups during Spring2Action, an annual 24-hour giving event spearheaded by the community’s charitable foundation, Act for Alexandria.
“Watch out for scammers, particularly now. If you receive an email asking you to purchase gift cards for later reimbursement by any organization, you can be pretty sure that it is a scam, ” said Lieutenant Sean Casey from the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office at a recent DRBA meeting. “Always double check the sender’s email. Sometimes it ‘looks’ like one you might know, but more often than not, it’s a ‘spoof’, or a fake version of a familiar and trusted source.”
RELATED: Alexandria Raises $2.45 Million in 24 Hours
