SmartBug Security & Fraud Prevention Page
Your Security is Our Priority
At SmartBug, we take the security of our clients and partners seriously. We have been made aware of phishing attempts where unauthorized individuals impersonate our team members to send fraudulent invoices, agreements, and tax forms.
This page serves as the official guide for verifying any communication you receive from us.
How to Identify Official Communications
All legitimate business from SmartBug will follow these strict protocols. If a communication deviates from these, treat it as high-risk.
1. Official Email Domains
- General Business: All employees will contact you from an address ending in @smartbugmedia.com.
2. Payment & Banking Instructions
- No Sudden Changes: We will never send an email requesting an urgent change to our wire transfer or ACH instructions.
- Verification Policy: Any change to our banking details will be communicated via a formal letter on company letterhead and must be verified by you through a live phone call with your primary SmartBug point of contact or a member of our finance team.
3. Document Integrity
- Invoices: Legitimate invoices sent will contain a link to a secure payment portal. If you receive a PDF invoice with no link to a secure portal, it is likely a forgery.
- Agreements: We use secure e-signature platforms for all service agreements.
Common Red Flags of Fraud
Be vigilant if you notice any of the following in an email claiming to be from us:
- Look-alike Domains: Emails from domains like @smartbug-media.com, @smartbug.co, @smartbug.io, or @gmail.com.
- Unusual Attachments: Unexpected ZIP files or PDF invoices sent directly from a personal email account.
- Account Changes: Requests to send funds to a "new" or "updated" bank account or to a different country.
What to Do if You Suspect Fraud
If you receive a suspicious email, phone call, or document:
- Stop: Do not click any links, download attachments, or reply to the email.
- Verify: Please reach out to your SmartBug contact or legal@smartbugmedia.com.
- Report: Forward the suspicious email as an attachment to legal@smartbugmedia.com. Forwarding as an attachment preserves the "email headers," which helps our security team track the source.
Recruitment Fraud
SmartBug has learned of a recruitment scam in which job seekers receive communications offering interviews or employment from people falsely claiming to work at or represent SmartBug. All job opportunities at SmartBug start with our Careers Page, and we are not involved with these fraudulent emails.
Although SmartBug is a fully remote company, we never offer employment to remote candidates before conducting a face-to-face video interview over Google Meet or Zoom. We never ask candidates to conduct interviews over secure messaging platforms likes WIRE. Additionally, no new SmartBug hire is ever asked to purchase major equipment with their own money.
Please visit our team page to see who you are interviewing with and to confirm you are speaking with an actual employee.
If you receive an email offering a job or an interview that does not come from an “@smartbugmedia.com” email address—or any email supposedly from SmartBug that seems somehow suspicious—disregard the email. Never provide personal or financial information to the sender, and don’t click on any links or attachments included in these emails, which may contain viruses or malware.
To learn more about job scams and how to protect yourself, please visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice page.