Phishing
Phishing refers to phone or email scams made by fraudulent parties, that attempt to trick you into divulging personal information such as
- Usernames
- Passwords
- Credit card numbers
- Bank account information.
Phishing attacks can come in the form of a phone call or email message. They claim and are made to look like they are from organizations with whom you have a legitimate business relationship.
See Monthly examples by clicking here
How do I avoid phishing scams?
- Be suspicious of ANY email that asks you to provide personal information by replying to the message or clicking a link.
- Be suspicious if:
- The sender is unknown (and be aware that the scammers can make the email to appear to be from a trusted source)
- The email is not expected
- Anything seems out of the ordinary, like format, grammar or reply-to address.
- Remember that neither MSU nor any reputable company will EVER ask for a username or password vial email.
- When in doubt, ask for help before you act. Contact the UIT Service Desk at 406-994-1777 and ask them to take a look or contact the company who purportedly sent the message as you would normally to verify the message's content.
I received a phishing email. Now what?
- If you receive a phishing message, forward it to [email protected] and then delete it promptly.
- If you believe that you have given away your private information to a phishing scam, immediately report it to the organization that appears to have sent the email.
- If you think you might have responded to a phishing scam with your MSU username and password, immediately change your password and notify the UIT ServiceDesk at 994-1777.
More information
Visit Stay Safe Online's Spam and Phishing section for more information on how to stay safe online and protect your personal information.