Alert Phishing Emails

Be Cautious of Fraudulent Emails

We have been informed that several distributors have received an email claiming to be from our Accounts Receivable team, signed with the name “Olga Harpole.” Please be aware that this is a fraudulent phishing email. Do not click on any links within the email or reply to the request. Legitimate emails from our Accounts Receivable team are sent from (or have on copy) the email address asc_nam@akzonobel.com.

Any other information sent to our distributors is sent through our eBulletin process from the email address VehicleRefinishesNA@vr.akzonobel.com.

If there is any doubt as to the nature of an email you have received, please reach out by phone to Customer Service at 1 (833) 844-0658 or to your AkzoNobel representative. We also ask that you report any fraudulent emails to either of these parties so that we may continue to monitor this situation.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Below please find some practical tips to help you spot phishing emails:

Check the sender's email address: Phishing emails often have a fake or spoofed email address that looks like it's coming from a legitimate source, but with slight variations or misspellings. Make sure to check the email address carefully and verify it with the actual organization.

Look for urgent or threatening language: Phishing emails often use language that creates a sense of urgency or fear, such as "your account has been compromised" or "you must act now to avoid being charged." Legitimate companies do not usually use such language in their emails.

Check the content of the email: Look for misspellings, grammatical errors, or awkward language. Legitimate companies generally take care to ensure their communications are well written and professional.

Be suspicious of unsolicited requests for personal or sensitive information: Legitimate companies will not ask you for your password or other sensitive information via email. If an email is asking you to click on a link and enter your personal information, it is likely a phishing attempt.

Hover over links before clicking: Phishing emails often contain links that look like they are going to a legitimate site, but actually take you to a fake site designed to steal your information. Before clicking on any link, hover over it with your mouse to see the actual URL.

Look for branding inconsistencies: Phishing emails often use logos and branding from legitimate companies, but the quality of the images or the colors may be slightly off. Look for any inconsistencies in the branding to spot a fake email.

Never open or download attachments from unknown sources: Phishing emails may contain attachments that can install malware on your computer. Don't download any attachments from unknown sources or from emails that you suspect may be phishing attempts.