This afternoon, ITCS became aware of messages being sent to people at U-M asking them to update their e-mail accounts to prevent them from being deleted to free up file space for new accounts. The messages asked people to reply with their user name, e-mail password, date of birth, and country or territory.
This is a scam. The messages are not from ITCS or from any other unit at U-M. Within an hour of the first messages coming through, ITCS had set up a mail block to stop any additional messages from the sender involved. ITCS estimates only a few hundred messages got through.
If you received one of these messages, delete it. If you responded to one of these messages and provided your password, immediately change your password.
Scams such as this are called "phishing" scams. In a phishing scam, the scammer attempts to get personal information about you—such as your passwords or credit card number—by telling you to provide it in order to maintain access to an account. Many phishing scams are from senders pretending to represent financial institutions, but many others are from senders pretending to represent various companies and organizations.
Never give your password to anyone. ITCS staff members will never ask you for your password.
Be suspicious of any message that asks you to verify account information via e-mail or a website. Do not provide the information. Delete the message.
Phishing and E-Mail Links (on the Virus Busters website)
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Alert: How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam
