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Watch out for Phishing

How to identify suspicious emails

What is Phishing?​

Phishing is when a bad actor sends you a fraudulent email. Here are some examples:

  • It may be an attempt to compromise the security of your account. The email might contain a link to a fake website that prompts you for your username and password. Once they have this information, they will have access to your account.
  • It may be an attempt to get you to download malware. Attachments to the email or links to download a file may result in a virus compromising your computer.
  • It may be an attempt to steal your money. Perhaps the email contains an urgent request for financial help that is seeking to steal your financial information.

How do I spot Phishing?​

Here are some tips to identify potential Phishing attempts and keep your account secure:

  1. Always be hesitant before clicking a link or downloading a file attached to an email. Make absolute sure that the email is coming from a trusted source. Furthermore, you can hover over a link or button before clicking it, and the address will display on the bottom-left of the page. If the URL appears suspicious, don't click it.
  2. Watch out for emails that convey a sense of urgency. Many phishing scams will have very pushy language like "WARNING" or "ATTENTION" that call you to take immediate action. For example, it might claim to be notifying you that your access is expiring or your account has been compromised. They will say whatever they can to get you to download their file or click their link.
  3. Check for spelling mistakes or poor grammar. This is a frequent characteristic of phishing scams.
  4. Report phishing attacks to Technical Support. That way, we can notify the rest of our students and staff to be on the lookout.