It’s Phishing Season… Don’t Get Caught in the Net!
What’s Happening
It’s Phishing Season. Malicious fraudsters are going to be targeting YOU with phishing attacks. October through February are prime months for phishing attacks. The holiday season means that you’ll be susceptible to emails about packages/deliveries, shopping offers and discounts, and “fun” links sent by family and friends. Unfortunately, many of these emails are designed to infect your computer or steal money from you.
What is Seattle University doing to help protect you?
Each day, Seattle University receives nearly 400,000 email messages. Over 200,000 of those emails are spam, phishing, or contain malware. While we stop 200,000 malicious messages each day, one or two will make it through our safety net. This is why we also want to ensure that you know what to look for.
How can I tell if I received a phishing email?
Look out for the common elements of phishing:
- Spelling & Grammar Errors
- An improper email address
- A deal that sounds too good to be true
- An urgent request (particularly for money or gift cards)
Remember:
- Seattle University will never ask you to reveal your username and password
- Seattle University has a careers page, and will not send out job opportunities via email
- Nobody at Seattle University will ask you to send them images of gift cards
What should I do if I suspect phishing?
- If you’ve received a phishing email, use the “Report Message” button in Outlook to report phishing.
- If you have doubts, follow your gut. Your instincts are probably correct.
- Call the sender of the email to validate that what you received was valid.
- Never click on a link in the email or call a number provided. Instead, manually go to the organization’s web page on your own (use Google to look up the address). Use the phone number and web pages provided there, rather than in the email.
