Phishing/SPAM

What is Phishing?

  • Phishing is a general term for e-mails, text messages and websites fabricated and sent by criminals and designed to look like they come from well-known and trusted businesses, financial institutions and government agencies in an attempt to collect personal, financial and sensitive information. Most often the message creates a sense of urgency or scare-tactics hoping that you will react quickly and haphazardly giving up sensitive information.

What does a Phishing email look like?

  • Here is an example of a Phishing email:
  • The red numbers indicate everything that is wrong with this message. If any email you receive contains any one of these issues it may be a Phishing email.
  1. Email is not from from Brandon University and is requesting action as if they are.
  2. Wording is not consistent with wording used on campus.
  3. Greeting is generic.
  4. There is urgency applied to the action required.
  5. When the mouse is over the link it displays the destination of the link which is a random website.
  6. The signature is generic claiming to be the “IT Department” with no other identification.

What should I do if I’ve received a phishing email?

  • Forward it to antispam@brandonu.ca

What should I do if I’ve opened a link from a phishing email?