Scammers are willing to invest the time to trick you!

Phishing is a type of cyber scam designed to trick you into giving your personal information.

Today’s example was reported by a few users who could tell something smelled phishy!

In this example, there is no obvious request for money or personal info! The scammer went so far as using a real staff person’s name and title, and even referring to the correct section of the UMass Code of Conduct! That’s crafty! At first even we IT staff weren’t sure if maybe this was a real email…

How can you know when a legit looking email is a scam?
Trust your gut, and verify!

★ Be suspicious of unexpected notifications
★ Call the real staff person and ask if the message is real

We got in touch with the real department referred to in the email and they told us it was not real! The scammer is weaving a story about “Academic Dishonesty” by a UMass Boston student. It’s a serious matter, but the message never makes an obvious request for money or personal info. In these “long-cons”, an email like this is the first step in building a relationship of trust between the scammer and the recipient. The scammer hopes you’ll bite and reply, and then the inevitable trap will spring!

If you are suspicious of a file, link, website, or email, you can contact the IT department to ask if it may be a scam. Forward a copy of a suspicious email to abuse@umb.edu.

Always remember…

Don’t take the bait! IT will NEVER ask you for your password. Phishing emails attempt to deceive​ you into giving up your private information by leading you to fraudulent websites. Learn more at:
http://www.umb.edu/it/getting_services/security/phishing/