Phishing and other scam emails are hitting institutions at a marked increase because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the most recent fraud scams is the gift card request from the address of an authority figure like a dean or professor.

This is the typical progression of this kind of scam:

1. The scammer impersonates the authority figure with a fake email address. 2. You are sent a generic message such as, "Are you available?" 3. If they get a response, the scammer gives some excuse about why they can’t be contacted by phone. 4. The scammer will then make an urgent request. 5. Typically, the request is to purchase iTunes cards or some other gift card currency. 6. If the scammer obtains the numbers on those cards, they can resell them for profit.

How do I identify this kind of scam?

Recipients of these emails should be wary of the following techniques:

* Unsolicited email involving an online financial service or wire transfer. * "Soft opening" techniques, such as brief emails asking whether you are in the office today or other seemingly harmless questions. * Cryptic messages from an authority figure stating there is an urgent matter. * Requests to click links or attachments.

What can I do if I think I’ve received one of these messages?

If you think you have received an email message from a scammer:

* Be careful about replying to the original email with too much information. * Pay attention to the reply-to address. Is it the same as the "From:" address? * Call to confirm with the sender if possible. In some cases, the email account may be compromised. * Hover over suspicious links to reveal the true destination of the URL. * Send the email to spam@umanitoba.ca mailto:spam@umanitoba.ca or infosec@umanitoba.ca mailto:infosec@umanitoba.ca for a second look.

Check for more information on the Information and Security Compliance websitehttp://umanitoba.ca/computing/ist/security/index.html.

Remember: Information Security Starts With You!

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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{CMI: MCID2390065}