From December issue of UWM Report

Cyberscammers are phishing in UWM waters

Phishing is an Internet scam involving a message sent out via email instructing recipients to immediately provide their financial institution with personal financial information.

Typically these are urgent requests designed to look like they came from a bank or other service provider demanding that you "confirm" or "update" account information or passwords or risk having an account closed down.

These emails are designed to look like an official communication from a bank or credit card company. They generally instruct you to click on a link in the email leading you to a website where you are asked for information like account numbers, contact information, social security numbers or back/credit card "pin" numbers.

This link doesn't go to your bank. It actually goes to a computer controlled by crooks. Once armed with your data, thieves take out cash advances from your accounts or may attempt to steal your identity and set up fraudulent bank or credit card accounts in your name.

Even with widespread publicity about “phishing,” people are still getting caught up in the phish nets. There have been some reports of UWM staff/faculty members being victims of identity theft after being scammed through phishing emails.

“I can’t believe I actually started to respond to one of these,” says a UWM staff member, who almost got caught by a “phishing” email sent to her UWM email account. The email allegedly came from EBay, asking her to update personal information. “I clicked on the link and was filling out the requested information when they started asking for my security password, bank account information and other confidential information. Suddenly a big light bulb went on, and I remembered I’d never used my UWM address in my infrequent EBay transactions or for other personal business. It was a ‘duh’ moment. After all I’d read about such scams, I almost fell for it.”

UW system security recently picked up a phishing email that allegedly came from the UW Credit Union and was directed to UW System users, many of whom have credit union accounts.

In a newsletter directed to its customers, the real UW Credit Union discussed the extent of the problem. In June, 2005 alone 15,050 phishing reports were reported nationally, a 41 percent increase over the previous six months, according to a reputable consumer site, antiphishing.org. The Credit Union article noted that “phishers” are fast workers – the spoofed site is active for an average of only six days.

Here are some tips from UWM’s Cybersecurity Department and the UW Credit Union for avoiding phishing scams.

• Don’t respond to unsolicited emails asking you to divulge confidential personal information. Legitimate financial institutions don’t send emails asking for this information.
• If you have doubts about a message, call the financial institution using the contact information on your billing statement. Don’t use a number listed in the email.
  • Don’t email personal or confidential information.
  • If you think you may be a victim of phishing, contact your financial institution or the online service immediately. You may also file a police report with UWM Campus Police or your local police department if you have suffered any actual financial loss.

• Here are some additional websites with information on phishing:

https://www3.uwm.edu/imt/security/resources/features/phishing.cfm

• http://onguardonline.gov/phishing.html http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/phishingalrt.htm