STOP the email PHISHING epidemic!

“If You Didn't Expect It, Delete It!”

Don't click unexpected links in email messages.

 

Q:  What is PHISHING?

A:  This is the act of using email as a bait-&-trap method for hackers to easily gain your account and password information.  Once these perpetrators have your login information, they may:

1) gain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) about you or others that they can find in your account – thereby using this in Identity Theft abuses,

2) use your account as a new point of sending mass amounts of Phishing/SPAM to other unsuspecting victims,

3) use your credentials to access other campus systems, attack other systems, steal confidential University data, and jeopardize the mission of the campus.

The goal of most Phishing emails is to trick you into visiting a web site in order to steal your ULM credentials. Attackers will setup web sites under their control that look and feel like legitimate web sites. Often the Phishing emails will have an immediate call to action that demand you to "update your account information" or "login to confirm ownership of your account". If you enter your ULM credentials into these illegitimate web sites you are actually sending your ULM username and password directly to the attackers.

THE BAIT: You receive an unexpected email that claims to be from the "Help Desk" or someone you know.

THE TRAP: It says it's urgent. You must click a link to prevent problems with your account.

YOUR DEFENSE: Be skeptical of any email that you aren't expecting. ULM and organizations that care about the protection of your information should never ask you to send bank account numbers, Social Security Numbers, driver's license numbers, health information, or health insurance information via email or related web links. Decline requests to send this information in email. Password thieves may insist that immediate action is necessary and may pretend to be your friend or some other trusted entity. Don't let these tactics trick you into letting down your guard. It is very likely a scam.

REMEMBER: Only You can Protect your Warhawks Password!  Don't be intimidated by these scams.  Anytime you are not sure, call before you click!  Contact your ULM Information Technology CallCenter:  318-342-3333.

The policy of ULM Information Technology is as follows:

“You will never receive an email from the ULM staff (which includes, but not limited to, Information Technology, HR, the president's office, etc...) that requests your password or other confidential information via email.  This includes any and all emails that ask for your email login credentials, Banner or Moodle passwords, etc...  If you receive any emails stating you need to immediately change your password, either by sending the information electronically, or visiting another website, it is false and not to be trusted.  Even if that email is from someone at ULM, it is not a valid email and should not be taken seriously."

"In the future, if you receive emails of this nature, please report it to the help desk @ 318-342-3333." 

 

Please report all SPAM / Phishing emails to spam@ulm.edu

For information about SPAM & Email related topics, see Email & SPAM.