Students targeted by email phishing scam
York students have been made the target of an email phishing scam.
Students received the email last week which purported to be from the ‘York.ac.uk Team’. It asked each user to provide personal details in order for their ‘account to be verified’. The information requested included the students’ University Webmail username and their password.
The University’s Information Officer Joanne Casey sent an email to all University departments outlining appropriate courses of action. She said: “The Computing Service will never ask for a user’s password (or other sensitive information) via email, and neither should any other reputable organisation.”
Phishing is normally associated with fraudulent and criminal attempts to acquire sensitive information, including bank details. It is not yet known who was behind the emails or if they could face prosecution. In certain circumstances phishing perpetrators can be prosecuted under the 2005 Fraud Bill.
Casey instructed: “Do not respond to a request to send your password via email. The message should simply be deleted.”
One second year Computer Scientist commented to Nouse: “It’s very odd that they are trying to get hold of our Webmail details.” He added: “That isn’t exactly priceless information.”
Chris Northwood
However, webmail logins are the same as the rest of Yorkweb logins, including evision, which has information that could possibly be used for identity fraud.