Posted February 9, 2017 by Academic and Institutional Technology
Tags:
Phishing Attempts
Phishing Alert | “fraudulent card charge”
Effective Date: February 8, 2017
Employees recently received an email confronting them about an unknown credit card charge. The email directs the recipient to follow a hyperlink to view the sender’s bank statement and then respond to the email.
This email is a phishing attempt. Do not provide any information to the sender. Thank you to all who reported the scam.
If you responded to this scam, please contact us at 630.752.4357 (HELP).
How to Spot a Phishing Attempt
The image above is a screenshot of the phishing attempt. Several things indicate that this email is not what it claims to be:
- The sending email address does not match the name at the bottom of the email.
- The subject line is written in all lower-case letters. While subject lines like this don’t always indicate a phishing attempt, it’s still a sign to be more cautious than usual.
- The subject of the is email poorly worded and contains numerous grammatical errors, as well as inappropriate language.
- The link may take the target to an actual statement, it may mine for personal information, or it may lead to a website that initiates a download of malware. It is never wise to click on any link in an unsolicited email, especially from a sender you do not know.
Always exercise caution when responding to emails. If you're not sure whether an email is legitimate, contact us at ait.service.desk@wheaton.edu or call 630.752.4357 (HELP).