Trending...
- IRF Builders Forum Brings Global Leaders to Washington, D.C. to Advance Religious Freedom Through Cooperative Engagement
- Ascent Solar Technologies Enters Collaborative Agreement Notice with NASA to Advance Development of Thin-Film PV Power Beaming Capabilities: ASTI
- The AI CEO™ Launches Next-Gen Sales Assistant for Equipment Finance Professionals
Contact: Ryan Jarvi 517-599-2746Agency: Attorney General
September 18, 2020
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a consumer alert today telling Michigan residents, particularly college and other nonprofit donors, to beware of fraudulent emails and phone calls seeking personal information or suspicious donation requests.
The alert follows a ransomware attack on Blackbaud, a major provider of software services used by nonprofits in fundraising that resulted in the acquisition of donor information by a cybercriminal. Blackbaud customers include colleges, hospitals, churches and various other types of nonprofits throughout the U.S., including in Michigan.
Blackbaud notified affected customers using its services of the security breach, leaving it to those nonprofits to provide any notice to impacted individuals. The breach was reported by Blackbaud in mid-July.
The Blackbaud security breach and its impacts on nonprofits and consumers vary. Social Security numbers, credit card and bank account information were not accessed, according to Blackbaud. Accessed information generally included names, titles, telephone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, dates of birth and, more importantly, donor information such as donation dates, donation amounts, giving capacity, philanthropic interests and other donor profile information. Blackbaud claims that it has "no reason to believe that any data went beyond the cybercriminal, was or will be misused; or will be disseminated or otherwise made available publicly" but, to date, has not announced any concrete substantiation of this claim.
More on Michimich.com
"Donor information can be a roadmap identifying people willing and able to contribute to worthy causes and institutions. In the wrong hands, it can target individuals for exploitation and scammers," said Nessel. "Personal information with this level of detail, in the hands of fraudsters, is particularly susceptible to spear phishing – a fraudulent email to specific targets while purporting to be a trusted sender, with the aim of convincing victims to hand over information or money or infecting devices with malware. Anyone who receives a notification letter regarding the Blackbaud data breach should not dismiss the letter, and should not only take the recommended steps in the notice, but also remain vigilant for suspicious emails, texts or phone calls asking for personal information, donations or other payments."
Nessel urges every Michigan resident who gets a text, email or call that is supposedly from an organization or business asking for login credentials, credit card, bank account or any other personal information to hang up and not respond.
"The bottom line is this: Don't give a single piece of personal information – your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your PIN numbers – to anyone who calls," Nessel said. "Hang up the phone and call back to a number you know to be legitimate."
More on Michimich.com
For more information please read the Attorney General's Consumer Alert Data Breaches, What to do Next.
Consumers are encouraged to file consumer complaints with the Michigan Department of Attorney General online or by calling 877-765-8388.
Click here to view a copy of the Blackbaud consumer alert.
September 18, 2020
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a consumer alert today telling Michigan residents, particularly college and other nonprofit donors, to beware of fraudulent emails and phone calls seeking personal information or suspicious donation requests.
The alert follows a ransomware attack on Blackbaud, a major provider of software services used by nonprofits in fundraising that resulted in the acquisition of donor information by a cybercriminal. Blackbaud customers include colleges, hospitals, churches and various other types of nonprofits throughout the U.S., including in Michigan.
Blackbaud notified affected customers using its services of the security breach, leaving it to those nonprofits to provide any notice to impacted individuals. The breach was reported by Blackbaud in mid-July.
The Blackbaud security breach and its impacts on nonprofits and consumers vary. Social Security numbers, credit card and bank account information were not accessed, according to Blackbaud. Accessed information generally included names, titles, telephone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, dates of birth and, more importantly, donor information such as donation dates, donation amounts, giving capacity, philanthropic interests and other donor profile information. Blackbaud claims that it has "no reason to believe that any data went beyond the cybercriminal, was or will be misused; or will be disseminated or otherwise made available publicly" but, to date, has not announced any concrete substantiation of this claim.
More on Michimich.com
- $17.4 Million Total Revenue for First Half of 2025 (up 31.8% YOY) for Global Wet Trades Services Provider with High Value Bitcoin Investments
- $12.8 Million Net Revenue for 2024 for Cloud-Based Crowdsourcing Recruitment and SaaS-Enabled HR Solutions Provider: Baiya International Group Inc
- Rocket Companies Completes Acquisition of Redfin
- Hire Virtue Announces Executive Sponsorship Opportunity for Houston Hiring Blitz & Job Fair on August 6, 2025
- Inked & Maxim Model Teisha Mechetti Turns Heads—And Builds Community Impact
"Donor information can be a roadmap identifying people willing and able to contribute to worthy causes and institutions. In the wrong hands, it can target individuals for exploitation and scammers," said Nessel. "Personal information with this level of detail, in the hands of fraudsters, is particularly susceptible to spear phishing – a fraudulent email to specific targets while purporting to be a trusted sender, with the aim of convincing victims to hand over information or money or infecting devices with malware. Anyone who receives a notification letter regarding the Blackbaud data breach should not dismiss the letter, and should not only take the recommended steps in the notice, but also remain vigilant for suspicious emails, texts or phone calls asking for personal information, donations or other payments."
Nessel urges every Michigan resident who gets a text, email or call that is supposedly from an organization or business asking for login credentials, credit card, bank account or any other personal information to hang up and not respond.
"The bottom line is this: Don't give a single piece of personal information – your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your PIN numbers – to anyone who calls," Nessel said. "Hang up the phone and call back to a number you know to be legitimate."
More on Michimich.com
- Plan to Launch Silo Technologies' Cybersecurity Pilot Program for Ultimate Nationwide Deployment via Exclusive Partnership: Stock Symbol: BULT
- Robert Michael & Co. Real Estate Team Celebrates Industry Recognition and Showcases Premier Central Florida Listings
- NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK RELEASE: "Mommy, Where Is My Daddy?" by Tracy L. Gray
- UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP AND THE UCLA HERB ALPERT SCHOOL OF MUSIC ESTABLISH THE BERRY GORDY MUSIC INDUSTRY SCHOLARSHIP TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF A MUSIC PIONEER
- AI-Based Neurotoxin Countermeasure Initiative Launched to Address Emerging National Security Needs: Renovaro, Inc. (N A S D A Q: RENB)
For more information please read the Attorney General's Consumer Alert Data Breaches, What to do Next.
Consumers are encouraged to file consumer complaints with the Michigan Department of Attorney General online or by calling 877-765-8388.
Click here to view a copy of the Blackbaud consumer alert.
0 Comments
Latest on Michimich.com
- databahn Launches GenAI Sales Intelligence Platform to Revolutionize Fortune 500 and Global 2000 Account Research
- IRF Builders Forum Brings Global Leaders to Washington, D.C. to Advance Religious Freedom Through Cooperative Engagement
- PrideStaff Detroit (West) Named One of Detroit's Top Staffing Agencies for Second Year by ThreeBestRated®
- Colorado Scenthound Locations Partner with Humane Colorado to Give Adopted Dogs a "Clean Start"
- Endoacustica Europe Unveils iPhone 13 Pro Max Spy Phone—Pure Hardware, Zero Software Changes
- Suzanne Harp named Managing Director in Texas, USA
- $10 Million Acquisition of GXR World Sports Assets Energizes Global Launch of Sports.com Super App by Online Lottery-Sports Game Provider: Lottery.com
- Shop American Made Goods: New Online Marketplace My American Goods Curates the Best of U.S. Made
- Investor Spotlight: Cycurion, Inc. (N A S D A Q: CYCU) Secures $69M in Contracts Amid Surging Demand for AI-Powered Cybersecurity Solutions
- $328 Million Global Stroke Rehab Market Opportunity Awaits AI Telehealth Leader Following Selection for NIH Funded Phase 3 Clinical Study: VSee Health
- Ascent Solar Technologies Enters Collaborative Agreement Notice with NASA to Advance Development of Thin-Film PV Power Beaming Capabilities: ASTI
- VoodooSoft Unveils SiriusLLM: The World's First ChatGPT-Like AI Malware Detection Engine
- This Ain't Press. This Is Pressure — Star Command by RansomXX is Out Now
- The AI CEO™ Launches Next-Gen Sales Assistant for Equipment Finance Professionals
- PGA Tour's Rocket Mortgage Classic: Detroit Readies for a Championship Clash
- An Exclusive VIP Reception Honoring Vocal Prodigy Alliana Lili Yang's Remarkable Achievements and Magazine Cover Spotlight
- Joyce Carol Oates Returns to Hard Case Crime With DOUBLE TROUBLE
- New AI Academy Helps Therapists Embrace Tech Without Losing Their Humanity
- IQSTEL Surges Toward $400M Run Rate with $101.5M in Revenue—Reinforces Billion-Dollar Vision Backed by Fintech, AI, and Cybersecurity
- Alpha Modus Files 7th IP Action Against Rackspace Following $3M CEO Investment and Strategic Partnership Expansion