Colorado DORA Issues Phishing Scam Alert to Insurance and Regulated Professionals

The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) has warned industry professionals about a phishing email designed to appear as an official enforcement notice. The fraudulent message, using a fabricated employee name and misleading subject line, aims to prompt recipients into clicking malicious links. With regulators increasingly targeted in impersonation scams, insurance agencies, carriers, and MGAs must reinforce internal cybersecurity awareness and verification protocols. This alert serves as an important reminder to validate communications from regulatory bodies and protect sensitive compliance data from compromise.

Fraudulent Email Poses as Enforcement Notice

On January 28, 2026, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) issued a public alert regarding a phishing email circulating among regulated professionals. The message carried the subject line:

“Re: Action Required – DORA Enforcement Notice #93742”

The email appeared to originate from a fabricated employee named “Cassy T. Sullivan” and was designed to mimic an official enforcement communication from DORA.

State officials confirmed that the email was not legitimate and advised recipients to refrain from clicking on any embedded links. The Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology is currently investigating the incident.

Impersonation scams targeting regulatory agencies are becoming increasingly sophisticated. By referencing enforcement actions and creating a sense of urgency, these emails attempt to manipulate recipients into immediate response without verification.

How to Identify Suspicious Regulatory Emails

DORA emphasized several important verification steps for recipients who receive unexpected communications:

• Confirm the sender’s email domain ends in “state.co.us.”
• Compare the sender’s email address with the signature block.
• Carefully review the email text for inconsistencies or unusual formatting.
• Contact the department directly using the official phone number listed on the state’s website.

In this particular case, the fraudulent email address did not include the official “state.co.us” domain, a critical red flag.

Regulatory impersonation scams frequently rely on minor domain variations, added characters, or subtle misspellings that may go unnoticed during routine email review.

Why Insurance and Compliance Teams Should Take Notice

Insurance carriers, agencies, and MGAs are frequent targets of regulatory impersonation schemes due to the nature of their work. Licensing enforcement notices, audit requests, and reporting deadlines are routine communications, making them attractive themes for phishing attempts.

A successful phishing attack could result in:

• Compromised producer data
• Exposure of licensing records
• Financial fraud
• Unauthorized system access
• Operational disruption

As compliance oversight becomes increasingly digital, cybersecurity vigilance must be integrated into compliance workflows.

Organizations may consider:

• Conducting internal phishing awareness training
• Establishing verification protocols for regulatory notices
• Restricting link-clicking privileges from unknown senders
• Encouraging staff to escalate suspicious communications immediately

Strengthening Internal Controls Against Regulatory Impersonation

Phishing scams impersonating state agencies are not isolated incidents. Regulatory bodies across multiple states have reported similar activity in recent years.

To mitigate exposure, compliance leaders should:

• Maintain a centralized regulatory contact directory
• Require secondary verification for enforcement-related emails
• Archive official communications in a secure compliance system
• Ensure staff understands official state email formats

Cybersecurity awareness is now a critical component of regulatory compliance. Treating suspicious communications with caution protects both organizational integrity and consumer data.

Summary

The recent phishing alert from Colorado DORA serves as an important reminder that regulatory impersonation scams remain an active threat. Insurance professionals and compliance teams should verify enforcement communications directly through official state channels and avoid interacting with suspicious emails.

Maintaining strong internal verification procedures and reinforcing cybersecurity awareness can significantly reduce exposure to fraudulent activity. As regulatory communications continue to evolve in digital format, proactive vigilance remains essential.

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