Campus Targeted by Phishing E-mails

The campus is being targeted by malicious phishing e-mails falsely claiming to be from the IT Support Centre. The e-mails urge campus account owners to reply and provide user IDs and passwords to avoid account deactivation. These e-mails are not authentic. If you receive one, do not reply or provide information. Delete the e-mail.

If you responded and sent information, please call IT Service Center during regular business hours at 303-735-4357 (5-HELP from a campus phone).

Following is a sample message:

From: IT Support Centre [uitsaccounttalertt @ cox.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 6:47 AM
Subject: Account Alert.

This is to inform you that we are currently applying a software update with a hard spam protector to address the improper use of our webmail service, as such,  we are. All active users must respond to this email immediately. Failure to comply with the above instruction will immediately render your email ACCOUNT deactivated from our database.

Enter your data here
NetID / Username:
Password:

IT Support Centre
© 2012 University ITS. All Rights Reserved

Be Aware

• The university will never send e-mail asking for private data (e.g. passwords, SSNs, credit card numbers, etc.) Always be suspicious of messages asking for private information.
• If you ever receive a suspicious e-mail, do not reply or click any links.
• It’s good practice to never click a link in an e-mail. Instead, open a web browser and type the website address or search for it using a legitimate search engine.

Learn More

• OIT Security Awareness:  www.colorado.edu/oit/it-security/security-awareness/phishing.
• Identity Theft Help:  www.colorado.edu/oit/it-security/security-awareness/privacy-identity-theft.

While university technology blocks malicious e-mail and phishing websites, it’s no substitute for being a conscientious Internet user. To report suspected phishing e-mail to IT Security, go to www.colorado.edu/oit/it-security/phishing-emails/report-suspicious-messages. For a list of recently reported phishing attempts, go to www.colorado.edu/oit/it-security/email-phishing.

If you ever have questions about the legitimacy of an e-mail, call the IT Service Center at help@colorado.edu or 303-735-4357(5-HELP from a campus phone). E-mail and phone help is available Mondays through Thursdays, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Fridays, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6:00 p.m.