- We have received reports of a growing number of incidents involving individuals or groups attempting cyber and phone scams by impersonating a HISPANO ACÚSTICA employee via fraudulent emails or phone calls using a spoofed (fake) phone number that appears to be a legitimate HISPANO ACÚSTICA number. The following techniques have been observed in these attempts:
Methods used:
-A person impersonating a HISPANO ACÚSTICA employee (speaking Spanish or English) makes a phone call using a spoofed caller ID that appears to be a legitimate HISPANO ACÚSTICA number, requesting an urgent wire transfer of funds.
-An email appears to be sent from our official domain address (@hiacustic.com or @HISPANOACÚSTICA.com), requesting an urgent transfer of funds and claiming to be from a HISPANO ACÚSTICA employee. (If you attempt to reply, the recipient address may reveal a different and suspicious email.)
-An email using our domain name (@hiacustic.com) is sent by someone claiming to be a HISPANO ACÚSTICA employee, and it includes a fraudulent invoice with updated bank account details for making payments.
-An email is sent from a free email service that includes “hiacustic” or a similar string in the address (e.g., @hiacusticcommunication.com), requesting the recipient to click on a link within the email text or an attachment that will download a suspicious file onto their device.
- Key Protection Measures
-If you receive a phone call or an email allegedly from a HISPANO ACÚSTICA employee requesting a transfer of funds, do not respond or comply immediately. Instead, contact HISPANO ACÚSTICA through official channels to verify the request.
-If you receive an email allegedly from a HISPANO ACÚSTICA employee asking you to update bank account details for payment purposes, contact HISPANO ACÚSTICA using a different method than email—such as by phone—to confirm the request.
-If you receive a suspicious email, delete it immediately from your inbox and do not click on any links or open any attachments contained within the message.
-Please note that such phone calls and emails are fraudulent and have absolutely no connection to HISPANO ACÚSTICA. Therefore, we urge you to exercise the utmost caution when dealing with them.
- Domain Spoofing Techniques
Fraudsters may create website domain names that closely resemble legitimate ones, in an attempt to mislead customers into believing they are communicating with a real email address. HISPANO ACÚSTICA has seen numerous variations of our official email domain @hiacustic.com.
HISPANO ACÚSTICA takes the security of customer data very seriously. Our systems are configured to keep your data secure using physical, technical, and administrative safeguards. We follow industry best practices wherever possible, regularly review our security protocols, and provide mandatory and ongoing staff training to guard against phishing or similar attacks that could lead to data breaches.
However, transmitting information over the Internet is not entirely secure. While we take reasonable steps to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted online. Any such transmission is at your own risk.
Therefore, we strongly recommend the following precautions when communicating with HISPANO ACÚSTICA, especially in cases where confidential or personal data is requested, or when payment requests are involved:
CAUTIONS
- A) Always verify the shipping address and make sure it says HIACUSTIC.com in the address and email headers.
- B) Make sure any subject number or reference quoted corresponds to what is expected or has been known/verified in the past.
- C) Check the entire invoice calculation to ensure the accuracy of the charges, as the figures on these fake invoices are often miscalculated.
- D) Confirm that logos/branding are consistent with previous correspondence.
- E) Check that the bank details are correct. Any changes to our bank details will always be officially communicated to you, rather than simply being amended on an invoice.
- F) Watch for any change in the style or tone of an email. If it seems out of place or inconsistent with the style or language of previous emails, this may be an indication that the sender is someone other than the person you are used to dealing with.
- G) If you are unsure, always call HISPANO ACÚSTICA (at a known/confirmed number) for verification and assistance. Do not use unvalidated phone numbers provided on invoices, as these often ring on fraudulent phone systems where they will falsely validate incorrect account information.
If you suspect that you have received fraudulent correspondence related to HISPANO ACÚSTICA, please notify us by e-mail to “privacy@hiacustic.com”. Fraudulent correspondence may also be reported to your e-mail or communications provider, to the Consumer Protection authorities or to the State Security Forces.
