UC San Diego Campus Notice
OFFICE OF THE INTERIM CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER,
UC SAN DIEGO

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER,
UC SAN DIEGO HEALTH
October 4, 2023
Geisel library at sunset
ALL ACADEMICS, STAFF AND STUDENTS AT UC SAN DIEGO (Including UC San Diego Health)

Alert: Financial Scam Emails from Compromised UCSD Email Address

UC San Diego has recently experienced an increase in financial email scams. The attackers send carefully crafted messages with the aim of committing financial fraud and stealing funds through an elaborate communication campaign. These messages have come from a number of external email systems, such as personal Gmail accounts, but some attackers have been able to leverage compromised UC San Diego accounts to send messages to our campus community.

While our security team and systems remain steadfast in their efforts to combat these scams, we rely on the vigilance of our campus community to ensure that these attackers’ efforts are in vain. Please take a moment to review the steps below to ensure that you are prepared in the event that you become a target of these scams.
Steps to Protect Yourself 
  1. If you see any variation of an email like the example below, report the email to security@ucsd.edu and delete the email. DO NOT call, text, or email back. Be aware that even if it appears you’re replying to an @ucsd.edu address, you may still be communicating with the malicious user. In addition, attackers will commonly ask you to move to an alternative communication channel so that our security team can no longer respond to help keep this from continuing. Do not continue to engage the individual. The security team will take the appropriate steps. 
fraudulent email example
  1. If you do find yourself communicating with the scammer, then we recommend to IMMEDIATELY STOP.
  2. If you have already provided funds to the scammer, then we recommend filing a report with law enforcement, and if appropriate, notify your bank or credit card company.
Questions and Help
If you need further help or have specific questions about this matter, please reach out using one of the following methods:
  • Portal: https://support.ucsd.edu/its
  • Email: support@ucsd.edu
  • Phone: (858) 246-4357
Kevin Chou
Interim Chief Information Security Officer, UC San Diego
 
Scott Currie
Chief Information Security Officer, UC San Diego Health
University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093