Over the past few of days, companies and private individuals have increasingly been receiving emails, phone calls, texts attempting to take advantage of the COVID-19 emergency. This is a type of online fraudulent activity named Phishing.
Many of these Phishing attempts may appear to be from legitimate organisations. As we’ve seen in the past week, the latest target for impersonation is the World Health Organisation.
Fraudulent phishing emails will often ask you to:
— Give sensitive information, such as usernames or passwords
— Click a malicious link
— Open a malicious attachment.
Following this, criminals can install malware or steal sensitive information.
Beware of criminals pretending to be WHO
To prevent yourself falling foul of this
latest scam, make yourself familiar with the below:
The World Health Organization will:
never ask for your username or password to access safety information
never email attachments you didn’t ask for
never ask you to visit a link outside of www.who.int
never charge money to apply for a job, register for a conference, or reserve a hotel
never conduct lotteries or offer prizes, grants, certificates or funding through email.
The only call for donations WHO has issued is the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which is linked to below.
Any other appeal for funding or donations that appears to be from WHO is a scam.
If you suspect a
scam, call Action Fraud straight away on 0300 123 2040, or the FCA Consumer Helpline
on 0800 111 6768.
Raymond James supports the ScamSmart campaign from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which aims to help investors make smart decisions regarding their investments and pensions and avoid becoming the victims of scams.
Fraudsters are becoming increasingly adept at what they do, and their methods can be extremely sophisticated. Visit our page for guidance on how to be more vigilant, and how to spot the warning signs of a scam.
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Black Monday
On 19 October 1987, the stock markets experienced a dramatic plunge that prompted many firms to shut down their trading desks and turn off their phones to minimize internal losses. Raymond James refused to do the same. Our desks stayed open to help meet clients’ needs, resulting in our first and only unprofitable quarter since the firm went public in 1983.
Who was Raymond James?
The Raymond in our name is actually from Edward Raymond, owner of a 15-employee mutual fund sales group, Raymond and Associates, along Florida’s west coast. He sold his company to Bob James on 15 July 1964, on condition that the surviving firm be called Raymond, James & Associates.
Three days after the sale, Ed Raymond was involved in a near-fatal automobile accident and never joined the firm.
Nonetheless, even after Raymond had passed away, Bob James insisted that his name remain on the door – ahead of James’ own. That was a promise he made to Ed Raymond three days before the accident, and Bob James was a man who kept his promises.
Bear Market of 1974
The severe bear market of 1974 threatened the existence of Raymond James, which was bleeding capital by the day. Tom James, his father and other leaders took extreme measures to keep the firm afloat, slashing costs, foregoing paychecks and even attempting to sell the firm for just enough capital to protect client assets and retain as many associates as possible. The story could have ended very differently if not for a sharp upturn and continued rebound in the stock markets late in the year.
This “fortunate near-death experience” (as Tom calls it) permanently marked his psyche, and has influenced our firm’s character and culture since, solidifying the conservative nature that emphasizes a determined focus on the long term – both for clients and the firm.
Taking Raymond James Public
When consideration was being given to taking Raymond James public, Tom James penned a letter to shareholders (largely employees at the time).
He wrote:
” … the public offering should be considered as a statement of our independence. While this is a psychological rather than an economic rationale, it is nonetheless very important. We have asserted for some time that we are not interested in becoming a small part of a very large corporation. That assertion results mainly from the inclinations of management rather than the economic benefits associated with either alternative. The public stock offering affords us the opportunity to enjoy a little bit of the best of both worlds. While shareholders will be given liquidity at fair market value, we will still have the ability to control our own destiny.”
After 40+ years of Tom’s leadership, upon becoming CEO, Paul Reilly was often questioned about whether the company might ultimately surrender its cherished independence and be acquired by some larger entity. His response: “Not while I’m around.” It’s a theme that continues today.