In an era where cybersecurity threats loom large, official emails from a state institution, Úřad práce (Labour Office) in the Czech Republic, are confusing recipients. The emails, which look suspiciously like phishing attempts, are being sent from a private company address, creating a potential security concern.
Over the last few days, social network users have been puzzled by an unusual email address from which they received confirmation of appointments at the Labour Office. The email did not originate from a domain that hints at a state institution, as expected, but from the address webcall@kadlecelektro.eu, which seemingly has no affiliation with the office.
Such communication contradicts all security directives. For years, experts have encouraged people not to open emails from suspicious addresses, as they may contain harmful code. However, no one can discern that cyber fraudsters do not send messages from webcall@kadlecelektro.eu but are actual emails from the Labour Office.
In response to the issue, the institution has promised a solution. “We were alerted to this matter by our clients and started addressing it immediately. It pertains to the settings of one of our external suppliers; we will resolve the issue shortly, within a few days at the most,” said Petr Kopáček, a spokesperson for the institution.
The institution plans to communicate with clients only through the domain uradprace.cz. “We know that trust is fundamental, and that’s why we are gradually transforming the Labour Office from a record-keeping organization to a flexible institution that can quickly and effectively help vulnerable people and simultaneously be a partner in solving employment issues,” the spokesperson added.
Nonetheless, the incident serves as a reminder that people should remain vigilant with emails from unknown domains. It is also wise to be cautious when receiving SMS messages from unknown numbers, as these can spread fraudulent offers and harmful codes.