Reminder: Think before you click; scams are aplenty

There are a number of new email and web-based threats that are targeting your account, identity, privacy, and finances.

The IRS is warning of a scam targeting people with edu email addresses. The email scam impersonates the IRS with subject lines like “Tax Refund Payment” or “Recalculation of your tax refund payment.”  The email then directs you to a website to confirm your personal information which could lead to identity theft or tax refund theft.  https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-warns-university-students-and-staff-of-impersonation-email-scam  Don’t click on links on emails without knowing the authenticity of the email.

We haven’t seen any reports directly to us at abuse@uwgb.edu of COVID-19 vaccine scams but we have gotten warning notices from the FBI.  Their article offers good advice and information https://www.fbi.gov/coronavirus  Much like the IRS tax refund scam, don’t give out your personal information to unknown sources.

We are seeing examples of a photo copyright scam in which the scammer pretends to be a professional photographer claiming that we are using their copyright protected images on our website.  We typically see this submitted to public facing Qualtrics surveys but the scam can arrive via email as well.  This scam isn’t usually a phishing scam trying to get your account credentials, it usually leads you to download ransomware which will encrypt your files and attempt to extort money from you to recover your files.

We are constantly under the threat of everyday phishing attacks telling you that your “password has expired,” a missed voicemail, or an online file sharing email that you weren’t expecting.  All of these are typical phishing attacks targeting your login credentials.  The villains hope to gain access your account in order to send more phishing emails or worse login to other online accounts like your bank or financial aid.  For tips on how to identify phishing emails visit our phishing awareness information page https://www.uwgb.edu/it/information-security/phishing-information-and-awareness/ For tips on better online account security, Consumer Reports has a great article with easy tips you can take advantage of today  https://www.consumerreports.org/digital-security/tips-for-better-passwords/

As always, please send any suspicious emails to abuse@uwgb.edu  We will check it out and let you know if an email is legitimate or a scam.  Thanks for everything you do to help us keep UWGB systems and data safe.  Think before you click!