Michigan State Police says they have noticed an increase in fraudulent emails containing malicious links or attachments being sent to businesses and individuals across the state.
The fraudulent emails have subject lines that include terms such as "invoice" or "receipt."
The email contains an attachment or link to download a PDF, MS Word or Excel document that contains malware.
Recent infections have been a result of the Emotet virus. Once infected, the virus has been known to steal contact information from any email address book the user maintains, which allows the scammer to send spoofed emails to the user's contacts.
Other side effects of the malware include the stealing of passwords or banking information, encryption of user files and spreading the virus to other computers that may be connected to the user's network.
Police say people should screen all emails prior to clicking links or opening any attachments. Any email with attachments or embedded web links should be handled with care until the recipient can verify that the email is authentic.
