Posted August 12, 2020 by Academic and Institutional Technology
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Does it sound too good to be true?
Effective Date: August 12, 2020
“My aunt is a college alum and is moving to the area soon due to Covid-19. She will need someone to watch her two dogs and is paying $600/week. Please email fake.email@fakeemail.com for more info.”
Some employees at Wheaton College have received a similar email in the last two months. The best way to tell it’s a scam? It promises a job that is too good to be true.
Cybercriminals use different tactics to persuade people to fall for their phishing emails. They often place tremendous pressure such as, “Act now or we’ll close your account!” In this case, they also tried to create trust with personal details, while getting the facts wrong. (Her aunt is moving here but needs someone to watch her dogs while she’s here? Wouldn’t she need someone to watch her dogs if she was leaving?)
As always, keep an eye out for these types of emails! You can report them using the “Report Phish” button on Outlook. If you’re not certain if an email is a phishing scam, feel free to forward it to the AIT Service Desk and ask them to check.
Thank you for always taking a moment to be vigilant when it comes to suspicious emails. You can learn more about phishing scams here.
If you have any questions, please contact us at ait.service.desk@wheaton.edu or call 630.752.4357 (HELP).