Campus receiving reports of email ‘upgrade’ phishing scam; also, watch for tax season frauds

The Information Security Office is distributing this message to the campus this afternoon.

Jan. 31, 2018

Colleagues,

An unusually realistic phishing email has shown up today in UC Davis email accounts. The links direct the user to a fake UC Davis login page. If you receive this email message (see example) or anything like it, please delete it. You don’t need to do anything else.

The campus has blocked incoming and outgoing traffic to locations associated with this scam.

If you have any questions, please talk with your departmental tech support or contact the IT Express Service Desk at 530-754-HELP (4357).

Tax season fraud

Now that tax season is here, we can expect to be targeted by fraudulent messages that will try to trick recipients into disclosing W-2 or other tax information. Please be skeptical of any message that asks for personal or financial information of any kind.

Also, be aware that phishing frauds of any type can be delivered to your phone. They are not limited to email.

Whenever you have doubts about any message that asks you for sensitive information, verify it separately with the apparent sender, or talk to IT Express.

Thank you,

Cheryl Washington, CIPP/US, CIPP/G, CISM, CISA, CRISC

Chief Information Security Officer

University of California, Davis

One Shields Avenue

Davis, CA 95616