Information Technology Services (ITS) is providing the following alert to warn against fraudulent email scam attempts targeting UofM email accounts. In some cases, emails are sent from a fake email account of University leadership or a supervisor to employees of a department. These emails typically begin with a phrase such as “Are you available?” or similar language and try to build a sense of urgency by stating the sender is in a meeting and needs an urgent errand to be completed. The sender is ultimately trying to trick the recipient into purchasing gift cards with the recipient’s personal funds and provide the gift card codes via email or text messages. In some cases, the urgent message may request a personal cell number where the attacker seeks to gain additional information about the victim including the possibility of exploiting the cell phone.

If you receive a suspicious email involving cash disbursement, gift card purchases, transfer of funds or any other financial activity that purports to be from a University official, or if you are asked to provide personal information via email, carefully review the email before responding and follow up with a phone call to the appropriate office to confirm the authenticity of the request. Forward suspicious emails to abuse@memphis.edu. If you receive an urgent request after hours and are unable to confirm the authenticity of the request, please follow up on the next business day. Taking a moment to confirm the email’s authenticity will help protect you and the University.

Note that the same methods used in email attacks can also be used via telephone calls. If you receive a phone call using similar tactics, do not feel pressured to respond immediately. Instead, request the caller’s contact information, seek validation of the request and return the call later if appropriate.

Remember to treat unsolicited job opportunities, special offers and unexpected email attachments with skepticism. Even if the message appears to come from a trusted individual, be mindful of language or addresses used in the message and be suspicious if they don’t match what you typically receive from the individual. If you receive any email message that has a suspicious attachment or asks you to take a questionable action, please report the message via email at abuse@memphis.edu or over the phone by calling the ITS Service Desk at 901.678.8888.