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Phishing E-mail Warning
Fraudulent e-mails are being sent to Yale and AYA users falsely claiming that you need to verify your e-mail account. Below we will examine several examples of phishing e-mails, how to identify them and what to do if you receive them or fall victim to one of the phishing scams.
Phishing E-mail warning
Samples of phishing e-mails
How do I tell if it is a phishing e-mail or a valid message?
What should I do if I received a phishing e-mail?
What should I do if I am a victim of a phishing scam?
Phishing E-mail warning
Phishing e-mails often appear to be sent from "EDU ACCOUNT UPGRADE TEAM"and have a subject such as "FINAL VERIFICATION OF YOUR E-MAIL ACCOUNT." These are false and are not being sent by Yale University or the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA).
"Phishing" is when e-mail purporting to be from a legitimate source attempts to trick e-mail recipients into volunteering their personal or credential-related information. These messages vary in content, but all claim to be from legitimate sources such as E-Bay, a financial institution or bank, PayPal, the IRS or a university computing group. Examples of such e-mails can be viewed below at Samples of Phishing E-Mails. If you receive such a message, you should treat it as spam and simply delete it.
Samples of Phishing E-Mails
The samples provided in this section are examples of some recent phishing messages. There are many being sent and they change almost daily. There has been a rise in the number of targeted phishing messages, aimed at Yale and other educational institutions' employees, students and alumni:
-------------------Sample 1 -------------------
This mail is to inform all our webmail users that we will be maintaining and upgrading our website in a couple of days. As a Subscriber you are required to send us your Email account details to enable us know if you are still making use of your email Account.
Be informed that we will be deleting all email account that is not functioning to enable us create more space for more users. You are to send your email account details which are as follows:
*User Name:
*Password:
*Date of birth:
*webmail Login:
You can also confirm your email address by logging into your webmail before sending us the required information.
WARNING: Any one who receive\'s this email and fails to respond to the mail will be deactivated immediately from our database.
-------------------Sample 2 -------------------
Dear Webmail User,
This message was sent automatically by a program on Webmail which periodically checks the size of inboxes, where new messages are received.
Your mailbox has exceeded the storage limit set by your administrator. You may not be able to send or receive new mail until your mailbox size is increased by your system administrator. To help us re-set your SPACE on our database prior to maintain your INBOX, you must contact your system administrator by replying this e-mail and enter your: Current User name: { } and Password: { } to increase your storage limit.
You will continue to receive this warning message periodically if your inbox size continues to exceed its size limit or between 18 and 20 MB.
Thank you for your cooperation.
System Administrator
This email is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and contains information that is privileged and confidential.
-------------------Sample 3 -------------------
Dear Yale University Webmail Account Owner,
To complete your Account Verification process, you are to reply this message and enter your ID and PASSWORD in the space provided (*******), you are required to do this before the next 48hrs of receipt of this e-mail, or your Web mail Account will be de-activated and erased from our database.
Full Name:
Webmail User ID:
webmail Password:
Your account can also be verified at; https://www.mail.yale.edu Thank you for using https://www.mail.yale.edu Copyright Of Yale University Webmail 2009 Account Support
-------------------Sample 4 -------------------
Dear Yale User,
This message is from the Yale messaging center to all
subscribers/webmail users. We are currently upgrading our data base
and e-mail center due to an unusual activities identified in our email
system. We are deleting all unused Yale Accounts. You are required to
verify your Yale account by confirming your yale identity. This will
prevent your Yale account from been closed during this exercise.
In order to confirm you Yale identity, you are to provide the following data;
First Name:
Last Name:
Username/ID:
Password:
Date of Birth:
*Important*
Please provide all these information completely and correctly
otherwise due to security reasons we may have to close your account
temporarily.
We thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Please
understand that this is a security measure intended to help protect
you and your Yale Account. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Regards,
IT Service
Yale Team.
-------------------Sample 5 -------------------
Attention Yale account holder,
The University Email Service has noticed some unusual activities in your email account, email accounts holders have also been receiving "phishing" scam emails requesting for personal information. Individuals have reported this and due to several occurrence of this, we intend upgrading all email accounts in our database/mailserver for security purposes.
In order to ensure that Your email account is upgraded/protected from receiving spam mails, you are requested to reply to this mail confirming your emails account details for identification and upgrading.
_____________________________________
1. First Name & Last Name:
2. Full Login Email Address:
3 ID number:
4. Username & Password:
5. Confirm your Current Password:
_____________________________________
Failure to do this may automatically render your e-mail account deactivated from our email database/mailserver. Note that you will be sent a new confirmation/alphanumerical password that would only be valid during this period and can be changed after this upgrading process.
Yale University Central Webmail service.
-------------------Sample 6 -------------------
From: YALE INTERNET SUPPORT
Reply: prowin@nbnet.nb.ca
Subject: Confirm Your E-mail Address
Dear Yale Webmail User,
To complete your Account Verification process, you are to reply this
message and enter your password in the space provided (*******),you are
required to do this before the next 48hrs of receipt of this e-mail, or your
WebmailAccount will be de-activated and erased from our database. Your
account can also be verified at:
https://secure.its.yale.edu:443/cas/login?service=https://www.mail.yale.edu/
login.php
Thank you for using Yale University Webmail Service.
YALE INTERNET SUPPORT
------------------Header Information-------------------
These are examples of the "From" and "Subject" lines of messages that may be fraudulent:
From: Yale University <yale.edu1@beautybyus.net>
To: @mr6.its.yale.edu
Subject: Confirm Email Account
From: IT SYSTEM UPGRADE <hoteler@citech-bd.com>
Reply-To: IT SYSTEM UPGRADE <it_accountupgrade1@live.com>
Subject: Alert: Mail Quota
From: YALE UNIVERSITY WEBMAIL INTERNET SERVICE <info@yale.edu>
Subject: Dear Yale University Webmail Internet User
From: IT Service <webupgrade@admin.yale.edu> From: Edu Mail Customercare From: YALE SUPPORT TEAM
From: "MED.YALE MANAGEMENT"
FROM: YALE Technical Informations Department (webmaster@yale.edu) FROM: Yale University Edu Webmail Alerts Team (
support.team@yale.edu) FROM: The Yale Webmail Account Management Team
FROM: YALE.EDU WEBTEAM ALERT (customersalert@yale.net) FROM: admin@med.yale.edu
As you can see from the fraudulent messages above the individuals composing these messages are targeting specific groups of people with messages that appear legitimate. Please do not fall victim to the requests.
These e-mails are fraudulent and
have not been sent by Yale or the AYA. Delete them and do not open
any attachment. Your @aya.yale.edu e-mail address is not at risk of being deleted. You can use the following rules of thumb when evaluating
the legitimacy of an e-mail:
- If you request access to an online service we will subsequently ask questions to verify your identity. We do not send these messages unsolicited and we never ask for your password by e-mail.
- When contacting you regarding your VYS account,
our e-mails will be signed with a staff person's name and contact information.
- We will not send unsolicited attachments. (That
is, we will only send attachments as follow up to an issue that you
have initially brought to our attention.)
- Occasionally, we may direct you to a website that
belongs to AYA or a trusted partner. The address would begin with http://www.aya.yale.edu, http://alumni.yale.edu
or http://www.alumniconnections.com/yale.
IMPORTANT reminders: * Never click on any link in an e-mail from an unknown source. What to do when you receive a phishing e-mail: * If you want to report it you may submit the message to Yale's anti-virus vendor (Clam AV - http://www.clamav.org/sendvirus/) or Forward it to the Federal Trade Commission: spam@uce.gov or to the abuse e-mail address at the company that is being spoofed (e.g. abuse@aya.yale.edu). You may also notify the Internet Fraud Complaint Center of the FBI: www.ic3.gov. * If you believe the message was sent from the AYA or Yale University, but are not positive, please call us at (203-432-1907 or * If you have replied to a message you now suspect may be fraudulent, please see What should I do if I am a victim of a phishing scam? What to do if you have fallen prey to a phishing scam: If you believe you might have revealed sensitive information regarding your Yale Online Alumni Community and Virtual Yale Station e-mail forwarding address, please change your password immediately and notify us of the issue. How do I change my password to the Yale Online Alumni Community (OAC)? To change you password for the OAC, please click here You will need to know your current UserID and Password to change your password What do I do if I am not able to change my password? If you are unable to change your password because you no longer have the password or the password you have does not work, please contact us immediately! Call the AYA Online Services Department at (203) 432-1907 July 2, 2008
Subject: SUBMIT YOUR ACCOUNT FOR VERIFICATION/MAINTANANCES?
From: Yale IT Service Desk
Subject: Attention Yale Email Account Holder Urgent Reponse Needed
Subject: VERIFY YOUR EDU Mail ACCOUNT NOW
Subject: VERIFY YOUR YALE EMAIL NOW
Subject: Verify And Update Your MED.YALE Mail Account Now !!!
SUBJECT: YALE
SUBJECT: Confirm Your ( Yale University edu )Webmail Account Owner#
SUBJECT: Please confirm your Yale webmail account
SUBJECT: SUBMIT YOUR ACCOUNT FOR VERIFICATION/MAINTENANCE
SUBJECT: Verify and Update your med.yale.edu Email
SUBJECT: Email Account Update Confirmation
SUBJECT: Confirm Your (YALE.EDU WEBMAIL) Account Owner
How do I tell if it is a phishing e-mail or a valid message?
What should I do if I received a phishing e-mail?
* Never reply to or respond to an unsolicited e-mail.
* Never supply personally identifying information via e-mail especially usernames and passwords.
* Be a skeptical consumer. Don't be immediately fooled by graphics or personalization of a message. Images and web pages are easily faked.
* The AYA and Yale University will never ask for your password in an e-mail.
* If you have received any of the above messages or similar messages and have not replied, please delete the message immediately.
** NOTE: when forwarding messages, always include the entire original e-mail with full-header information intact.
e-mail us at aya@yale.edu.
What should I do if I am a victim of a phishing scam?
Alternate phone number: (203) 432-2586
E-mail us at aya@yale.edu.