Be Cautious of Phishing Attempts and Scam Messages

The Office of Guam Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense (OHS-OCD) were made aware that the Office of Technology (OTECH), along with the Mariana Regional Fusion Center (MRFC), received reports of a purported phishing email attempting to get users to click on a link for documents. The email is seemingly a scam and attempt to get the user to engage further.

Phishing emails often masquerade as internal IT requests, payroll updates, or urgent "unpaid invoice" notices. Before engaging with any email, perform these checks:

Verify the Sender: Look closely at the "From" field. Scammers often use domain spoofing (e.g., @g00g1e.com instead of @google.com) or display names that don't match the actual email address.
Analyze the Tone: Be wary of messages that create a sense of unnecessary panic. Phrases like "Your account will be deactivated in 1 hour" or "Unauthorized login attempt—click here now" are classic red flags.
Check the Destination: Do not click. Hover your cursor over any buttons or links to preview the URL. If the address looks like a string of random characters or points to an unfamiliar domain, do not click.

If you receive an email that feels "off," please follow these steps:

Do Not Click: Do not click links, open attachments, or reply to the sender.
Report It: Use the "Report Phishing" button in your email client. For Government of Guam agencies, refer to OTECH’s website, https://otech.guam.gov/.
Delete: Once reported, delete the email from your inbox and your trash folder. Reminder: OTECH will never ask you to provide your password or MFA codes via email or chat.

The community is also advised to report any suspicious activity relating to the subject to the MRFC at (671) 475-0400 or via email at mrfc@ghs.guam.gov, following the Department of Homeland Security’s campaign, “If You See Something, Say Something.” The MRFC analyzes data and trends to identify scams and fraudulent patterns. Your report may help law enforcement identify the people behind scam messages and illegal calls.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.