For those who have received a 'Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Fund Solicitation Email' impersonating the Japanese Red Cross Society
What to do immediately and how to clear your mind as an in-house IT engineer
Conclusion: That email is a 'fake email impersonating the Japanese Red Cross Society,' and they have officially issued a warning stating 'we have no connection to it' and 'never open the URL.' What you received is a 'targeted phishing email,' and if you delete it, there will be zero damage. You don't need to worry too much.
🟥 1. Key points of the official warning from the Japanese Red Cross Society
According to the official announcement, this fake email has the following characteristics:
It uses the Japanese Red Cross Society logo and photos to look 'authentic'
It claims to be a 'Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Fund solicitation'
It is being sent in bulk to @icloud.com addresses
The Japanese Red Cross Society has not sent any such emails
Clicking the URL (banner) poses a risk of phishing sites or unauthorized access
It is recommended to delete the email entirely
What you received is exactly this type.
🟧 2. What to do immediately as an in-house IT engineer
I am usually the type who can handle things calmly, but in this case, it is at a level where the official source clearly says 'delete it'.
● Delete the email
Never open the URL in the body. Do not touch any attachments either.
● Briefly check the email header
The sender's domain should look suspicious. (However, there is no need to investigate further)
● Share with the internal information security department
There is a possibility that others have received the same email.
● Strengthen spam filter settings
Since it is being sent in bulk to iCloud addresses, prevent recurrence through filtering.
🟦 3. Sorting out the feelings of 'those who received it'
When you receive an email like this, you feel as if you were being targeted. But this case is a mass-sent indiscriminate attack.
It is not your fault, and your information has not been leaked.
In fact, you get 100 points for noticing and dealing with it.
A 'fake act of goodwill' that suddenly arrived in the afternoon silence of the Nagoya office. The reason you were able to notice that something was wrong is because of your daily observation skills and experience.
The actual emotions that well up are 'anxiety,' 'anger,' 'disgust,' and 'caution' all rushing in at once, but
I personally felt a strong repulsion and anger toward the maliciousness of trying to steal money and personal information by exploiting a disaster.
🟩 4. 'In-house IT perspective' for spotting the same type in the future
Disaster name + donation + urgent request
Logos and photos look authentic
Sender is a free email address
URL is strangely long or a shortened URL
Email body emphasizes 'goodwill'
When these are all present, it is almost certainly a phishing email.
Hypocrisy dances, a summer trap impersonating the Red Cross