Advice firm Penguin Wealth swiftly resolves 'clever' email hack

Used company branding

Jenna Brown
clock • 2 min read

Penguin Wealth’s Craig Palfrey has reassured clients after it suffered a “clever” email hack, which saw a bogus email purporting to come from him go out to all his saved contacts.

The email, which went out on Wednesday last week (4 November), used Penguin Wealth's company branding and appeared to come directly from Palfrey's work email address. However, it was a cleverly designed hack. The email had a PDF attachment that directed recipients to click on a link to get the full ‘letter' supposedly from the Chartered adviser. It said "please see attached letter for your attention" but did not contain any personalisation and simply started with "Hi". The attached PDF contained a link, which readers were directed to click on. It claimed the ‘letter' had been "encrypt...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Companies

Walker Crips gets court approval for PhillipCapital takeover

Walker Crips gets court approval for PhillipCapital takeover

Overcomes court hurdle after takeover announcement in November

Isabel Baxter
clock 27 February 2026 • 2 min read
What does the Schroders/Nuveen deal mean for Benchmark advisers?

What does the Schroders/Nuveen deal mean for Benchmark advisers?

ARs await deal impact amid future sale suggestions

Isabel Baxter
clock 26 February 2026 • 5 min read
Iress earnings reach £12m in 2025 driven by wealth division client wins

Iress earnings reach £12m in 2025 driven by wealth division client wins

Targeted reinvestment in 2026

Jaskeet Briah
clock 25 February 2026 • 2 min read