Phishing is when someone is trying to obtain your confidential or financial information. It may be an email from someone claiming to be a friend asking you to wire money to a far off country or someone claiming you won money, but they need your financial account information to deposit it.

Bottom line: If you are unsure of the validity of an email, do not click on any of the links. Ask somebody else or even contact the Eagle Help Desk to see if the email is valid.

Phishing Emails (What to Look For)

• Sent from non-university email accounts: Always double check the sender of the suspicious email, even if the email signature looks legit.
• May appear to be from someone you know: Simply contact the real person you do know via a different method you have used before.
• Inconsistencies: Email addresses, incorrect order of characters, or URLs which have added characters or numbers. Ex. www.uw1ax.edu or uwlax.@edu.
• Bad Grammar: Poor spelling, misspellings, mismatched upper and lower case or odd formatting. 
• Contain: Links, images, and attached files they tell you to click on. Ex. See attached Invoice, Install Updates from...
• Stress unfounded urgency
  • Your account will be shut down if you don’t respond” or
  • “Your computer has a virus. Click here to remove the virus,”
• Try to get you to take action by means of conversation:
  • Buy gift cards for you to share with them or
  • Share personal information with them.  
• Offer information that is too good to be true
• Note: If using a smartphone:
  • Be extra careful and cautious when opening emails you’re not certain about.
  • Stop, wait, and go to your computer to ensure the links are valid.
  • You can always hover over the link with your mouse (without clicking) to determine if it’s valid.
  • Be cautious of suspicious attachments.

UWL IT Emails

Information Technology Services (ITS) will never ask you for your password. If you receive any request for your password, then please delete it immediately without a reply. 

Anatomy of a Phishing Email:

Examples of Phishing Emails:

Informative Videos about Phishing Created by UWL ITS: 

• "Don't Click on the Link"
• "The Cyber Zone: The Link to Disaster."