Several students have reported receiving a phishing email sent to their myumanitoba email address.  The email has the following features:

FROM: myumanitoba.ca <miskander AT aucegypt.edu>

SUBJECT: Email Account Update

The email claims your account has been suspended because of maintenance, and that you need to click a link to "verify" your account.  There is a threat if you don't comply.

DO NOT click the link.  DELETE the email.

The link itself is not dangerous, but it takes you to a fake form.  Filling in and submitting the form will give your credentials to the attacker who may then use your account to send spam or attempt some other type of fraud.

The University of Manitoba will not send emails threatening account closure if you don't visit a link.

How to Spot Phishing Emails

As you may be aware, common themes of a classic phishing email to watch for are:

- threats of account closure

- mentions of "upgrades" that require changes to your account

- "verification" of your account

- any request for userid, password, financial information

- request to "click a link" for anything related to email or financial accounts

- generic wording in the salutation, body or closing signature

- technical deception to make a link in an email appear to belong to a spoofed organization

- use of images instead of text in order to evade keyword filters

- forging real websites, logos, login pages, etc...

The target is almost always an email account, online banking, credit cards, paypal, Amazon, parcel delivery.  Anything of financial value to the attacker or can gain access to an email account that can be used to send spam to other victims, or commit other types of fraud.

Never click a link in an email.  Visit the organizations website directly by typing a known address into your browser.

Be cautious with attachments that are unsolicited.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Service desk if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Service Desk

Information Services & Technology

University of Manitoba

123 Fletcher Argue

230 Neil John MacLean Library

204-474-8600

Servicedesk@umanitoba.ca

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This communication is intended for the use of the recipient to which it is addressed, and may contain confidential, personal and/or privileged information. Please contact us immediately if you are not the intended recipient of this communication, and do not copy, distribute, or take action relying on it. Any communication received in error, or subsequent reply, should be deleted or destroyed. Please consider the environment before printing this email.