Identifying phishing emails can be tricky, but knowing scammers’ red flags can help keep your personal information safe. Watch for these clues:
Email messages
- Job offers that promise high weekly pay, low hours and lots of flexibility
- Requests for personal information (Gender, age, passwords, etc.)
- Email addresses from outside of UWM (@gmail.com, @uwm.com, @uwm.org, etc.)
- Vague university affiliation
- Urgent tone
- Poor spelling or grammar
- Suspicious links or attachments
- For suspicious phone calls (vishing) and text messages (smishing):
Unknown numbers
- Unsolicited calls/texts from utility companies, banks, the IRS, etc.
- Messages from those in leadership requesting that you purchase gift cards
- Requests to click links in text messages
- Requests for personal information like your MFA code, Social Security number, address, etc., during phone calls
Regarding what’s called MFA fatigue, scammers likely already have your password and are trying to bypass MFA if you get:
- A lot of MFA authentication requests back-to-back
- A few authentication requests each day for an extended period
- A phone call or text message from a reputable institution that requests your 6-digit MFA code or to approve an unfamiliar authentication request
To find out more about what to do if you encounter any of these cybersecurity attacks, visit UWM’s cybersecurity webpage.
