PULLMAN – Several phishing scams designed to gain personal and confidential information such as logins and passwords have hit campus and individuals in the region.
Two e-mails have been circulating on campus that appear to have been sent by either WSU Information Technology Services or WSU Webmail regarding confirmation of network ID, passwords or about e-mail accounts being deactivated. They use language including “Emergency Notification,” “Washington State University Webmail subscriber,” and “please confirm your Network ID and password.” Both are fraudulent email attempts to gain access to individuals personal information.
If you replied to either of these phishing attempt emails, providing your WSU username, Network ID and/or password, ITS strongly recommends that you change your password immediately. If you need assistance changing your WSU password please contact the ITS Help Desk at 509-335-4357 or helpdesk@wsu.edu.
It is best to assume that any e-mail asking for personal information, whether financial account numbers, logins or passwords, is not authentic. When in doubt about a WSU communication item you have received, contact the ITS Helpdesk at 509-335-4357 or helpdesk@wsu.edu to confirm the authenticity of a request for your WSU user id, password or any other unsolicited request for personal information.
A third particularly aggressive scam in the region is hitting individuals both on campus as well as the general community and has generated an alert from the Spokane Better Business Bureau.
This scam uses language such as “Bank of Whitman,” “your account has been closed” or “your bank account information needs to be updated.” It is being delivered via voice mail, text messages and e-mail. The Bank of Whitman is aware of this phishing scam and is working with authorities to alert bank customers as well.
If you did not open the link in this fraudulent e-mail or reply to the text message, there is nothing more you need to do.
However, if you responded to the phishing e-mail and/or entered your bank account login and password (or any other personal information) on the forged website or replied to text message with personal information, your information is compromised. You should take immediate and appropriate action and call your bank.
The ITS Security Office recommends that individuals never respond to requests for personal information from suspicious email, voice or text messages. Faculty, staff or students that suspect they have received a fraudulent phishing email, text or voice message can contact the ITS Security Office at either abuse@wsu.edu or 509-335-3900.