New Year, New Phishing Scams

In 2023, the number of sophisticated phishing attacks experienced rapid growth, and we anticipate this trend to continue in 2024. The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has made it increasingly challenging to discern truth from deception in our emails, text messages, and phone calls. The Department of Information Technology is dedicated to ensuring that you are well-prepared to tackle evolving cyber threats. Staying informed is the first line of defense. Therefore, it is crucial to keep abreast of the common tactics employed by cybercriminals who aim to compromise your personal and financial information.

Common Post-Holiday Scams

IRS Imposter Scams

Occurs when someone contacts you pretending to work for the IRS. The imposter may contact you by phone, email, postal mail, or even a text message, claiming that you owe taxes. They will demand immediate payment, often insisting on methods like a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. In some cases, they may even threaten arrest if you fail to comply.

Verification Scams

You are contacted by a scammer posing as your credit card company and asked to verify your personal information or credit card transactions made in December. When contacted via email or text, the message typically includes a hyperlink or button that links you to a fraudulent form or website. When contacted by phone, the caller asks you to provide your card number and security code to verify they have the right account in front of them.

Telephone Scams

Telephone scammers try to steal your money or personal information. Callers often make false promises, such as opportunities to buy products, invest your money, or receive free product trials. Some scammers may call with threats of jail or lawsuits if you don’t pay them.

Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams

Prize scammers try to get your money or personal information through fake lotteries, sweepstakes, or other contests. Many claim that you’ve won a prize but must pay a fee to collect it. Others require you to provide personal information to enter a 'contest.' These scams may reach you by postal mail, email, phone call, robocall, or text message.

Fake Refunds

Often sent via phishing emails, fake refund scammers pose as well-known retailers and include messages about a 'wrong transaction' or prompt you to 'click for a refund.'

Offer or Discount Scams

Online vouchers, codes, and too-good-to-be-true offers may lead you to a malicious website, asking for credit card and other personal information. Usually, these are disguised as 'post-holiday discount sales.'

Quick Loan Scams

Often promoted as a quick way to pay off Christmas shopping debt, these scams typically come with extremely high-interest rates and requests for a substantial amount of personally identifiable information on the application documents.

You’ve been phished.  Now what?

If you recognize that an email sent to you is in fact a phishing email, report it!  Click the “Report Phish” button in the top navigation of your email account to send the email to IT Security for investigation. 

If you accidentally clicked on a link or provided any information before recognizing the phishing attempt, close the page and immediately change the passwords of any compromised accounts.  If you’ve provided credit card or banking information, contact your bank or financial institutions to make them aware of the situation.  Lastly, report the phishing attack to Information Security to receive recommendations for additional steps.

To learn more about steps you can take to protect yourself, visit: https://www.shu.edu/technology/phishing-scams.cfm

Categories: Science and Technology