IT director warns of rising text and email scams; urges multifactor authentication and reporting

Connor, identified by the chair as the county IT director, told the board that text‑message scams (“smishing”), voice scams, email phishing and targeted spear‑phishing are increasing and explained common red flags: urgent requests, unusual payment methods, links/attachments from unknown senders and requests for personal or financial information. He urged supervisors and staff to enable multi‑factor authentication and use strong, unique passwords.

Connor illustrated methods scammers use — including fake package notifications and impersonation requests for gift cards — and said some scams now use AI‑generated voices and images to mimic trusted contacts. He advised staff to verify suspicious requests in person or by calling a trusted number and to use the county’s phish‑alert reporting button for suspected malicious emails. “If it seems to be too good to be true, it usually is,” Connor said during his presentation.

Connor also described departmental practice: the county enforces a 90‑day password rotation policy for county employees and recommends changing passwords and notifying IT immediately if credentials may have been exposed. He encouraged board members to direct constituents to verify unusual requests rather than responding or sharing potential scams.