SUBJECT:

Community Alert Bulletin - FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) public service announcement regarding scams targeting university students and employees

On 1-13-15, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) announced multiple scams targeting universities, university employees and students. The scams range from fraud to account theft.

" Alert #01132015a-PSA - "Work from home" scam targeting university students.

o Students receive emails to their school accounts recruiting them for payroll and/or human resource positions with fictitious companies. The student is asked to provide their bank account number to receive a direct deposit and then transfer a portion to another bank account. The result is the victim unknowingly participates in directing funds from other victims and can lead to the accounts being closed or federal charges.

" Alert #01132015b-PSA- University Employee Payroll Scam

o Employees receive an email indicating a change in their human resource status. The email contains a link directing the employee to login to their human resources website. The website appears similar to the legitimate site in an effort to steal the employee's credentials. The scammer then uses the information to login as the employee and change the employee's direct deposit information.

Tips on how to protect yourself:

1. Look for poor use of grammar, misspelled words, etc.

2. Roll your cursor over links to look for inconsistencies or strange link information.

3. Never provide credentials via email, including after clicking on links provided by the email. Always go to the official website instead.

4. Contact your network administrator if you receive suspicious e-mails

If you believe you have been a victim of these or other internet scams, you may file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.IC3.gov. Use the alert reference numbers in your complaint.

You can view a full PDF version of the public service announcements on the UCSD Police website crime alerts page at http://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/emergencies/crime/alerts/index.html