Recently UMBC e-mail users have been receiving bogus e-mail messages, From: UMBC.EDU ONLINE SERVICE, requesting sensitive information. A sample fraudulent e-mail message is below. E-mails such as these are known as Phishing (Click HERE for more information on Phishing). These e-mails are fraudulent and have not originated from the Office of Information Technology at UMBC. Under no circumstances should you reply to these or other similarly worded e-mails.
The fraudulent e-mails are requesting information such as:
Email Username :
EMAIL Password :
Address :
City :
The Office of Information Technology Will NOT:
• Request Your Username in Unsolicited E-mails
• Request Your Password
• Send You an Unsolicited Attachment
• Request Other Sensitive Information (e.g. SSN, Banking Information, Date of Birth, Address etc.)
Under no circumstances should you respond to unsolicited e-mails, web links or attachments. If in doubt don’t open it and contact the OIT Help Desk for assistance.
helpdesk@umbc.edu
410-455-3838
Sincerely,
Michael Carlin
Assistant VP, Infrastructure and Support
Office of Information Technology
------BEGIN BOGUS EMAIL SAMPLE----------------
From: UMBC. EDU ONLINE SERVICE [mailto:sjmain@btinternet.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 1:53 PM
To: pe_doggezzidik@yahoo.com
Subject: Dear UMBC.EDU Email Account Owner: ACCOUNT VERIFICATION NOTICE!!!
Dear UMBC.EDU Email Account Owner,
This message is from UMBC.EDU messaging center to all UMBC.EDU email account
owners. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail account center. We are
deleting all unused UMBC.EDU email account to create more space for new
accounts.
To prevent your account from closing you will have to update it below so that we
will know that it's a present used account.
CONFIRM YOUR EMAIL IDENTITY BELOW
Email Username :
EMAIL Password :
Address :
City :
Attention!!! Account owner that refuses to update his or her account within Seven
days of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.
Thank you for using UMBC.EDU!
Warning Code:VX2G99AAJ
Sandra Andrews
ONLINE SERVICES
--------END BOGUS EMAIL SAMPLE---------
