Leaked Tesla email reveals the company is warning workers about scammers who might try to trick them with links claiming to have information about the coronavirus
- Tesla warned employees about phishing scams claiming to have information about COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in an internal email.
- The email lists characteristics the phishing emails may have.
- Earlier this year, the coronavirus forced Tesla to briefly close its factory in Shanghai and stores in mainland China.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Tesla warned employees of phishing scams claiming to offer information about COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in an internal email sent on Tuesday. Business Insider obtained photos of the email.
"Have you received an external email claiming to provide important information about Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)?" the email says. "InfoSec [which makes cybersecurity training software] has identified recent phishing scams whereby attackers exploit fear surrounding COVID-19 to launch malware onto devices."
The email lists four features a coronavirus-related phishing email might have:
- The appearance that it has been sent by a medical institution like the World Health Organization
- A request to open an attached file describing ways to avoid contracting the coronavirus
- A request to click a link leading to a list of local coronavirus cases or safety measures
- The appearance that the email has been sent from a manager making an order to "urgently carry out a specific action"
The email also provides a link to examples of coronavirus-related phishing scams.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this year, the coronavirus forced Tesla to briefly close its factory in Shanghai and its stores throughout mainland China. The virus has also disrupted Tesla's supply chain, leading the electric-car maker to install old hardware for Autopilot, its advanced driver-assistance system, in China-made Model 3s. Tesla warned in its most recent annual report that a health epidemic like the coronavirus could have a negative financial impact on the company.
The coronavirus has infected close to 123,00 people and killed over 4,500. The vast majority of confirmed cases have been in China, though the coronavirus has been found in over 100 countries. There have been at least 1,153 confirmed cases in the US, and 31 reported deaths.
Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com.
- Read more:
- We talked to 42 insiders about Tesla's factory of the future. They revealed the corners cut to hit ambitious production targets.
- Tesla is now the highest-valued US industrial company after overtaking Boeing
- Some Tesla factory workers say the company still struggles with broken robots
- Elon Musk says Tesla is scouting locations for a Cybertruck factory in the 'central USA'
