Phish Bowl fishing rod

Phishing is a form of cybercrime where attackers pose as legitimate entities, such as universities, businesses, or coworkers, to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information like login credentials or financial details. These scams are delivered through emails, text messages, phone calls, and even social media.

The term comes from "fishing," where bait is used to lure a victim. In phishing, the bait is a fake message, attachment, or link meant to get you to take the bait often by clicking or replying.

Stay Safe

Be proactive by enabling Microsoft multi-factor authentication (MFA), following safe internet practices, using USU's Wi-Fi or virtual private network (VPN), and regularly updating passwords. Consider completing the Phishing Training Course.

Phishing Awareness & Prevention

Reporting

Report suspected phishing emails using the built-in reporting buttons in Outlook.

report phishing

Why It Matters

Phishing is one of the most common cyber threats. Research shows that over 94% of malware is delivered via email, making phishing a leading cause of data breaches and compromised accounts. While filters and security tools help, every individual must stay alert to stop phishing in its tracks.

How to Spot a Phish

Suspicious Senders: Check the sender's email address. If it's unfamiliar, misspelled, or from a free domain like @gmail.com when it should be from @usu.edu, proceed with caution.
Generic or Odd Language: Phishing emails often use vague greetings like "Dear user," have mismatched subject lines, or include poor grammar and sentence structure.
Unexpected Requests: Be skeptical of emails asking for personal information, login details, or payment. Legitimate organizations rarely ask for this unsolicited.
Urgency and Threats: Scare tactics like "Your account will be suspended" or "Immediate action required" are common. These are designed to bypass your better judgment.
Suspicious Links or Attachments: Always hover over links to verify their destination before clicking. Be wary of attachments you weren't expecting even if they look official.

Common Tactics at USU

Fake Job Offers: Promising easy money while asking for personal or banking info.
Estate Sales: Scammers advertise high-value items like antiques, furniture, or electronics at steep discounts or even free, often claiming the sale is due to a recent inheritance or urgent relocation.
Impersonation of Staff: Messages pretending to be from university leadership or professors.
Account Alerts: Claims your account will be disabled unless you click a link.
Malicious Attachments: Files disguised as resumes, invoices, or shared docs.
File Share Scams: Real-looking platforms (like Sharepoint and Google Drive) with malicious links inside the files.

Best Practices

Pause before you click. Hover to preview links and ensure they go where they say they do.
Verify the source. When in doubt, contact the sender directly using a known method not by replying to the suspicious message.
Limit what you share online. Attackers use social media and public info to personalize their scams.
Educate others. Share what you know, security is everyone's responsibility.

Types of Phishing Attacks

Spear Phishing: Targeted attacks using personal information to appear legitimate.
Vishing: Voice scams using fake caller IDs to pressure victims.
Whaling: Attacks targeting high-level executives with tailored messages.
Smishing: Text-based phishing asking for urgent action.
Clone Phishing: Re-sending altered versions of legitimate emails with harmful links or attachments.

Recent Attempts

Although this email cites the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) and uses formal language, it is sent from a personal Gmail account rather than an official or verifiable organizational domain, which is unusual for a legitimate public records request involving institutional student data. The sender is asking for an extensive and unusual request to deliver directly via email. At Utah State University, GRAMA and records requests are expected to go through official, documented channels and processes, not directly to an individual via an external email account. Because the request originates from a non-official domain, seeks bulk student information, and bypasses normal records-request procedures, it should be treated with caution and routed to the appropriate records and information security offices.

This email contains several clear indicators of a phishing/impersonation attempt. It claims to be from the university president, but the sender is using a personal Gmail account rather than an official @usu.edu address, which is a major red flag. The message is extremely vague, with no subject line, no details about the "request," and only a generic greeting. This kind of opener is commonly used in business-email-compromise scams to get the recipient to reply and move the conversation off-guard before introducing an unusual or urgent request, often involving money or gift cards.

This SMS message contains several strong indicators of a smishing attempt. It begins with urgency and authority, claiming to be from the university president and requesting urgent assistance. The sender says they're "on a conference call" and can't talk, which is a common tactic used by scammers to avoid real-time verification and steer the conversation toward text only. The unusual request to purchase gift cards and keep it secret is a well-known red flag. Additionally, the message originates from a suspicious or out-of-state area code, which is inconsistent with the identity it claims. This recipient's heightened awareness and appropriately skeptical responses are exactly what help prevent falling victim to these kinds of scams.

This email displays several classic signs of a phishing attempt. It creates a false sense of urgency by claiming that your account requires immediate attention due to pending updates and potential access limitations. The message contains awkward and jumbled language—such as reversed or distorted words—which is often a tactic used to bypass spam and phishing filters. Although the email displays a familiar URL, if you hover your mouse over the link, you would notice that it actually redirects to a different, suspicious web address. This is a common phishing technique used to trick recipients into visiting malicious websites designed to steal personal or financial information. Always verify the true destination of links before clicking and be cautious of urgent requests from unfamiliar sources.

This email contains several indicators of phishing. It claims that the Vice President & Chief of Staff to the Provost has shared an important file, which may seem legitimate, but there are several red flags. SharePoint is commonly used in phishing attempts to trick recipients into clicking on malicious links or downloading harmful attachments. If you are not expecting the email and do not frequently associate with the sender, it is best to assume the email is malicious. The request to open a file is a common phishing technique designed to gather personal information or compromise your device.

This email contains several indicators of phishing. It offers valuable items from an estate at no cost, with only a shipping fee required, which is a common tactic used to lure individuals. The list of high-value items, such as a MacBook Pro, PlayStation 5, and Eric Clapton's guitar, is designed to attract attention and create a sense of urgency. The email asks recipients to contact a specific phone number to arrange delivery, which is a method often used in scams to gather personal information. The promise of free items in exchange for a shipping fee is a red flag, as legitimate offers rarely require such fees.

This email contains many indicators of a phishing attempt. It offers a job opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary research project, which may seem appealing, but there are several red flags. The unusually high pay rate of $400 weekly can be a tactic to lure individuals. The email asks recipients to provide detailed personal information, which is a common method used in scams to gather data. The message appears to come from a trusted sender, however, the it originated from an external sender with a suspicious address. Normally, your professor or university staff will contact you via your official university email or other internal communication channels.

This phishing attempt is attempting to spoof an important person. The message creates urgency by claiming the sender is in an executive meeting and needs immediate action, which is designed to pressure you into responding quickly. It asks for your cell number, which is unusual and a red flag, especially if the sender would normally have your contact information.

This email contains indicators of a phishing attempt. It mentions that the HR Department has urgently finalized an Assessment Report for all staff members, creating a sense of urgency. The email instructs recipients to view the reports through an attached file or link, which is a common tactic used in phishing to trick people into clicking on malicious links or downloading harmful files. The language used is somewhat vague and unprofessional, which can be another red flag.

This email contains several red flags that suggests that it is a phishing email. It claims that all faculty and staff mailboxes will be transitioned from Microsoft Outlook to Google’s Gmail within 48 hours, creating a sense of urgency. It instructs recipients to fill out and submit a form, which is a common tactic used in phishing to collect personal information. The email also includes a confidentiality notice, which is often used to make the message appear legitimate. The combination of urgency, and a request for action are strong indicators of a phishing attempt.

This email shows several indicators of phishing. Firstly, it uses urgent language to create a sense of panic, urging immediate action. Additionally, the email comes from an unexpected sender, receiving an email from someone you don’t know or from an unusual or unfamiliar address can be a strong indicator of phishing. Finally, it asks for sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details, which reputable organizations would never request via email. Recognizing these signs can help you avoid falling victim to phishing scams.

This email contains many indicators of a phishing. It only contained an attachment and had no email body, this is a common malicious process used to bypass email filters. It offers a job opportunity to care for pets, which may seem appealing, but there are several red flags. The unusually high pay rate can be a tactic to lure individuals. The email also asks recipients to contact a specific email address for more details, which is a common method used in scams to gather personal information.