The start of a new academic year brings new students, staff and faculty but unfortunately, it can also invite additional phishing scam attempts. Universities across the country are encountering malicious emails aimed at new potential victims.

In the past month alone, our university has experienced scams in the form of false emails claiming to be HR surveys, debt-release notices, faculty pay raises, and messages with false links for more information. These emails can often appear legitimate, even to an experienced user. Here are a few examples of false messages to watch out for in your inbox: 

• An email or survey claiming to be from a university group but is from a Gmail, ATT or unique email account. Official university emails always end with "uark.edu."
   
• An email or survey asking for your password and using a different sign-on system. 
  IT Services will never request passwords or personal information in an email.
   
• An email offer that seems too good to be true. For example, a job offer with promises of more money that asks you to verify your bank account number.

If you receive email of this type, do not follow the instructions and do not respond. Any suspicious email should be forwarded to security@uark.edu.

Find more information about phishing scams by visiting the Phishing Scams Tech Article. For more tips, here's a great video from Google about Staying Safe from Phishing Scams.

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