The UofG’s campus and information security teams are asking staff and students to take care with email.

There are regular attempts by online fraudsters to target students and staff using a variety of hoaxes and deceptions.

Often these target overseas students, either offering services at very low cost, or suggesting that individuals are in breach of Tier 4 visa rules and need to pay ‘fines’.

Sometimes, phishing emails may appear to come from a known person like a tutor or another member of staff.

Attackers can use email to infect your computer with malware and viruses, or to obtain passwords and other personal details via deception. Often, the sender details are fake, with genuine-looking emails appearing to come from some other organisation, or even some part of the University, such as HR, "The Helpdesk", or "The System Administrator".

Advice

Here are some tips to keep your personal details safe:

• Treat all unexpected email with suspicion, even if the sender appears to someone you trust.
• If an offer in an email seems too good to be true, it probably is!
• Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments in unsolicited/unexpected email.
• Never respond to any email asking you for your ID or passwords.
• If a link in an email takes you to a log-in page, even if it looks similar to the page you normally use, do not log-in. Instead use one of these safe methods:

- Go to the University home page or MyGlasgow and navigate from there.
- Use a desktop icon or a bookmark you saved earlier.
- Carefully type the URL address by hand.

Always on the side of caution and, if in doubt, contact the IT Helpdesk.

First published: 24 April 2018

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