December 2023 

The State of Maryland recognizes that cyber threats are ubiquitous, and phishing is a key tactic used by adversaries to trick people into disclosing sensitive information or granting access to systems without their permission or knowledge. While the State of Maryland limits unsolicited direct communication with our citizens, anyone receiving an email, text message, or phone call that appears to originate from the State of Maryland should proceed with caution and take proactive steps to verify the legitimacy of the communication. This includes requests for PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.

Any email, text message, or social media direct message claiming to be from a State Government Official or Agency, should be handled as suspicious as it could be a phishing attempt!

What is Phishing?

• Phishing is a scam typically carried out through unsolicited email and/or websites that pose as legitimate sites and lure unsuspecting victims to provide personal and financial information.
• Never click on links, open attachments, provide any sensitive information, or follow instructions contained within a suspicious email. If you've experienced any monetary losses due to a phishing incident, please file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) through their Complaint Assistant to make the information available to investigators.
• NOTE: Please refer to Connect with Us if you have a question not related to phishing or identity theft.

What to do if you receive a suspicious unsolicited email appearing to be from the Governor or other Government Official or Agency:

1. Do not reply.
2. Do not open any attachments. They may contain malicious code that could infect your computer or mobile phone.
3. Do not click on any links.
4. If you are uncertain of the legitimacy of the email, visit the Maryland.gov website and Connect with Us.
5. You can also Forward  the email to us at phishing@maryland.gov.
6. Delete the original email.
   

If you have any other cyber concern or cyber incident you would like to make State Cybersecurity officials aware of, please email us at cyberabuse@maryland.gov​