Phishing
IT will NEVER ask for your password via email and always communicates systems or account changes in advance.
“Phishing is a scam where the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking e-mails appearing to come from some of the Web's biggest sites, including eBay, PayPal, MSN, Yahoo, BestBuy, and America Online, in an effort to phish (pronounced "fish") for personal and financial information from the recipient.”
Source: searchSecurity.com Definitions
Update for Fall '11:
It's come to our attention that malicious users are actively exploiting interest in the 10 year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Please be extremely careful with any email messages and/or email attachments related to this event.
If you receive an email that you believe to be a phishing attempt or other inappropriate unauthorized use of a College email account, please report this to abuse@tcnj.edu
Examples would be a message from your bank that asks you to update your account information. You click on the link, the legitimate bank site opens, then a page opens up on top asking you for your account info. This info page DOES NOT belong to the legitimate site. If you fill out your personal information and submit it, the info will go to the “phisher” to be sold or used to steal your identity.
Samples
Subject: Mailbox Quota Limit Exceeded
Your mailbox quota limit has been exceeded.
Visit below link to fill-in the re-activation form.
Subject: Federal Tax payment rejected
Taxpayer ID: commensurate-00000700955060US
Tax Type: INCOME TAX
Issue: Unreported/Underreported Income (Fraud Application)
To download your tax statement from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website (click on the link below):
Subject: TCNJ: Verify this email account
TCNJ: The College of New Jersey
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