Information Security has received reports of a new phishing campaign targeting members of our campus community. Attackers are impersonating faculty, staff, and other trusted individuals by email and asking recipients to share their personal phone numbers. These messages are often brief and vague, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n “What\u2019s your cell phone number?”<\/span><\/p>\n These emails are designed to seem urgent and personal, creating a false sense of trust by using the names and email formats of real campus members\u2014sometimes even spoofing display names to match known contacts.<\/span><\/p>\n Once a victim replies with their phone number, the attacker typically follows up via text message (SMS). The next stage often involves a request to purchase gift cards (like Apple, Google Play, Steam or Amazon cards) under the pretense of a favor or emergency. Victims may be asked to take photos of the cards and send the codes back via text. This is known as a <\/span>smishing<\/strong> (SMS phishing) attack.<\/span><\/p>\n Federal Trade Commission | <\/span>Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams<\/a><\/p>\n CNBC |Tricked by a gift card scam? You may be able to get your money back<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Apple | <\/span>About Gift Card Scams<\/a><\/p>\nAlert: This is the start of a gift card smishing <\/em>attack<\/h3>\n
How to Recognize and Respond to These Attacks:<\/h2>\n
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What You Can Do:<\/h2>\n
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If You Fall For This Scam<\/h2>\n
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Want To Know More?<\/h2>\n