Please continue to be diligent with identifying and reporting phishing and email scams.
This time of year, we see an increase in emails discussing taxes and other documents with sensitive information, like social security numbers. While these emails might look like they come from popular financial institutions, it can often be difficult to discern between real emails and fake emails. We recommend that you ignore links in these emails. Instead, visit your financial sites as you normally would to access your information (e.g., type in the address or use a bookmarked link).
More phishing emails are pretending to be from DocuSign, Adobe Sign, Google Docs, and Microsoft OneDrive, suggesting that you have an important file to sign or retrieve. Here are some questions to ask before acting on these emails:
- Am I expecting this document or file? Do you usually get invoices, shipping forms, or other documents from this company?
- Did the email come from the real company? Look very closely at the “From” address of the email. On a computer, it is easier to see the full sending address in the email. On a mobile device, it is more difficult. You can click on the sending address, and it will show you the real full address.
Below are some keys to success in avoiding many phishing emails and a link to more information about phishing.
- Look for the red banner that signifies the email did not come from University systems.
- Look closely at the sender’s address to verify it is coming from the person it says.
- Ask yourself, am I expecting this email or document?
Please report any phishing or scam message using the Report Message button in Outlook or by forwarding the email to abuse@umsl.edu.