By Max Edwards
You may have noticed some strange emails in your school account inbox. Unfortunately, these are a recurring issue both on our campus and around the world.
Phishing is a common form of online fraud that lures users to open links or enter personal information, most often through email or other messaging platforms. The messages usually come from people impersonating companies or organizations that you are involved in with the intent of stealing information or installing harmful software onto your device. Just opening an attachment or link may open your device to harmful, invasive software, so it’s important to be careful.
Most recently here at Western New England University, an email was sent to students warning that their account was set to be deleted unless they took immediate action. This was a phishing scam.
Common warning signs that a message is a scam include the email coming from an unrecognized sender; pressuring the recipient to act immediately; containing errors in spelling, grammar, or spacing; and requesting sensitive information such as passwords, credit card or bank information, Social Security numbers, and other personally identifying information. You can also look at the URL of any attached link by copying it or hovering over it with the cursor to see if it appears to match the site the email claims to be directing you to. You should not open the link.
Always be careful when opening attachments or URLs from unknown sources.
If you mistakenly follow the instructions from these scammers, they could get access to your email, bank, or other personal accounts. If you believe this has happened to you, make sure to take steps to resecure your information such as changing passwords or freezing your credit card.
What to do if you receive a suspicious email? Report and delete. You can also forward any suspect emails to [email protected] to help OIT block these phishing attempts. OIT can help clear these fake messages from other people’s inboxes once they confirm that they are scams to prevent any harm done to members of the university community.
