Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.

Hoax Email Alert

October 21, 2015
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.

SMM became aware that hoax emails have been occasionally circulated in the internet from someone purporting to be acting on behalf of or with the support of SMM.

SMM has a long business history and, as well as being engaged in mining activities world-wide, is the owner of the Hishikari Gold Mine (Japan) and Pogo Gold Mine (Alaska), which boast excellent grade gold ore. Like other companies, SMM is susceptible to false representations by individuals acting without SMM's knowledge or approval.

We have been aware of several types of hoax emails like the followings:

1. the authors of the hoax emails purport to be acting under instructions of SMM's senior executives in trying to orchestrate some sort of merger arrangement between SMM's Hishikari gold mine or Pogo gold mine and operations owned by the recipient mining company. In addition, such hoax emails often promise to introduce the recipient to SMM's senior management.
2. the authors of the hoax emails purport to be an officer or employee of SMM in trying to engage the recipient as SMM's sales representative for bill collection.

Some of the hoax emails also forward forged emails or PDF letters which pretends to be written by SMM's senior executive. Such forged emails or PDFs authorize the recipient (the author of the hoax email) to contact a potential purchaser or sales representative (the recipient of the hoax email) on behalf of SMM.

In some cases, the authors of the hoax emails represent themselves as "Satoshi Ito" or "Troy Oxford (TR Oxford)". In other cases, we have received information that the hoax emails was sent after the conversation in LinkedIn with "Yasuyuki Konno" or "Takuya Takagi" who represents himself as SMM's senior sales executive.

These emails and SNS account are not in any way authorized by SMM and SMM has no knowledge of the identity of the authors of the emails or the organizations to which they may belong.

Although the recent hoax emails have been of similar content, it may be that there will be other hoax emails sent by individuals purporting to act on behalf of or under the authority of SMM.

If you are concerned that you have received a hoax email or emails purporting to relate to SMM or its projects please email SMM at Hoax_Warning@ni.smm.co.jp.