Don’t get hooked on Phishing Scams!
Phishing (pronounced – fishing) – Is fraudulent process or scam, in which legitimate e-mails are sent out to unsuspecting users, in attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card details, or Social Security numbers by masquerading as trustworthy websites. The most common form of Phishing is e-mail pretending to be from legitimate retail, banks, organization, education, or government sites. Another phishing tactic is when the phishers claim on their e-mails, that they are from fraud departments of a well-known companies and ask to verify your information because they suspect you may be a victim of Identity Theft.
What should I do to defend against phishing scams?
- Be cautious about all communications you receive.
- Do not click on ANY links listed in an email message and do not open any
attachments contained in suspicious email. Ask before you act.
- Do not enter personal information in a pop-up screen. Legitimate companies, agencies and organizations don't ask for personal information via pop-up
screens.
The University of St. Thomas will NEVER ask you to confirm or reactivate your account because the server has been changed or upgraded. These messages are not legitimate - they are attempts to phish your account credentials with the intent to access your e-mail account in order to send more scam emails. ~Neil Gaede, UST Systems Manager
If it appears to be a phishing communication, do not respond. Do not open it. Forward it to report-spam@stthom.edu then delete it.
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