You get an email from Kent State University, apparently, saying your mailbox has exceeded its storage limit set by your administrator. In order to receive new mail, it states you must re-validate your account. You click on the link, fill out the information requested, including your password and you go about your day. You haven’t done a thing wrong, and your information is safe with the university, right?
Wrong.
On Oct. 14, a fraudulent email was sent to a large portion of Kent State employees and students. The email, which appeared to be from the university, was sent by an unauthorized third-party in a tactic known as Phishing, as in Phishing for your personal information.
“Phishing is very serious and is a real concern,” says Jason Wearley, Kent State’s executive director of information technology infrastructure services and support. “This act is targeted directly at getting your personal and sensitive information.”
The university will never ask you to verify, validate, re-validate or supply any personal information through email. If anything, Kent State will only ask you to reset your password, Wearley says.
Students and staff who clicked on any links in the email or entered any personal information are asked to contact the Office of Security and Access Management at 330-672-5566 or security@kent.edu.
Tips to Protect Yourself
- Run updated anti-virus software to remove any bad software potentially installed on a device.
- If you used credit card information with the scam or used it on any site after the scam, contact the credit agencies and place a fraud alert on your accounts.
- Change passwords on any site accounts you accessed while vulnerable to the scam.
- If identity theft has occurred, report it to law enforcement as criminal activity.
For more information about Kent State’s Office of Security and Access Management, call 330-672-5566 or visit Cyber Security