Update: If you receive a suspicious email like the example below, please report it to abuse@ucsd.edu.
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
If you see any variation of an email like the example below, report the email to abuse@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.
If you do find yourself communicating with the scammer, then we recommend to IMMEDIATELY STOP.
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:
