Information Resources and Technologies has recently tracked an increase in the number of phishing attempts directed at the UST community. We are attempting to block these types of messages from reaching your mail account, but phishing methods change on a daily basis to circumvent our filters. It is an ongoing challenge to block unwanted messages, without filtering legitimate messages.
One specific attempt that has now reached many UST inboxes appears to come as a “Wells Fargo Notice” in an attempt to harvest personal identification information. A link to an external website is provided and the user is asked to provide usernames and passwords to continue.
Phishing emails attempt to trick users into providing confidential information by posing as legitimate emails. IRT will never ask for personal information or passwords in an email. Responding to phishing emails allows phishers to log into accounts to access personal information, or use accounts to spam the community with more phishing attempts.
For up-to-date information about security alerts and examples of phishing emails, visit the IRT website or its Facebook page.