Be Aware of Holiday Gift Card Phishing Scams

As the holiday season ramps up, the Office of Information Assurance would like to remind you to be on the lookout for different kinds of phishing scams that can come in the form of emails, calls, or text messages.

Gift card scams are very common this time of year. If you receive an email, call or text message that appears to be from a trusted source within our organization asking you to purchase gift cards, be cautious. This could be from someone who claims to be a teacher, administrator, supervisor or even a fellow student stating there is an “urgent” situation that requires action (e.g., buying a gift card). This is often a phishing or smishing attempt. The scammer is trying to trick you into giving away money by pretending to be someone you know and trust. The goal is to use the gift card purchase to obtain your money.

Always be cautious of the following:

A Caller or Text Message telling you this is an "urgent" matter.
A Caller or Text Message being specific on what gift card to buy. For example, specifically asking you buy a gift card from several different stores and to stay on the phone while you go into the store and load money onto the card.
A Caller or Text Message asking you to purchase a gift card and give them the gift card number and pin.

Should you experience a similar situation as described above: hang up, delete, and ignore the message.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact security@ucsd.edu.

For additional information and tips regarding gift card scams, please see:

Thank you,

Office of Information Assurance
IT Services

University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093