News Release

How to Spot Email or Phishing Scams

(March 23, 2009) -

Everyone with an email account has seen them at one time or another, fraudulent or phishing email messages. These phishing messages appear to be legitimate or come from legitimate organizations (e.g. university technical support team, banks, Internet service providers, online auction sites) in an attempt to lure some victims to fake websites designed to collect personal information.

The questions below should help you to identify if the email is legitimate or a scam:

0. Does the message ask for personal information or login IDs or passwords?
   Be wary or suspicious of any email asking for personal information such as user IDs,
   passwords, bank account numbers, or social security numbers. Most financial institutions will
   never require customers to share account information or personal information online or via
   email. Additionally University technical support staff will never request or require you to
   provide your user ID or password.
0. Where would you like to go today? Just click here!
   Even if the email message appears to be official, don't click on the links, even if they seem to
   come from someone you know. Though the message may look legitimate, it might direct you to
   a fake or fraudulent web site. Be safe and manually enter the web site address in the browser.
0. What about messages that seem important or urgent?
   Just because a message is marked as a high priority or urgent does not make it legitimate.
   Frequently these types of email scams try to get a response before the victim has time to think
   about it.

The OnGuardOnline.gov (http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/email-scams.aspx) site lists 10 email scams to be on the alert for:

0. The "Nigerian" Email Scam
0. Phishing Email or Pop-up Message
0. Work-at-Home Scams
0. Weight Loss Claims
0. Foreign Lotteries
0. Cure-All Products
0. Check Overpayment Scams
0. Pay-in-Advance Credit Offers
0. Debt Relief
0. Investment Schemes

As a general rule of thumb, if the offer seems to good to be true...it probably is. If you are concerned
about a message you've received, please contact and/or forward the message to your local TSP or the
CSC.