SUBJECT:

Fraudulent E-mail Attempt

On September 24th, a fraudulent e-mail was received by a staff member in the CFO's office, impersonating the CFO in an attempt to initiate a wire transfer. The message was specifically targeted, well written, and used appropriate names in order to be more believable, but the reply address was directed to an unfamiliar off-campus e-mail address. Similar fraudulent e-mail messages have been reported at other UC campuses over the last few months, usually targeting the CFO or Procurement organizations in attempts to wire money or approve credit or purchase requests.

In order to help combat fraud, please consider the following guidelines before initiating any financial transfers:

· Be wary of unusual financial requests that seem to come from your manager or other trusted individuals.

· Pay close attention to e-mail addresses when replying to any messages involving financial transactions or other sensitive information.

· When in doubt, feel free to verify requests in person or via e-mail or phone using the contact information published in the UCSD Directory.

· Immediately report suspected fraudulent messages to your supervisor or to security@ucsd.edu

User awareness of suspicious e-mails is a key component in fraud prevention and in keeping our systems secure. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Pierre Ouillet Vice Chancellor & Chief Financial Officer