Phishing scams are sophisticated messages, typically emails, that appear to come from legitimate organizations (i.e. the university, your bank, Amazon, etc.), which are attempting to obtain your personal information (i.e. your password, account number, credit card, etc.). The message may ask you to respond with your personal information or include a link to a fraudulent website. Often, the message conveys a sense of urgency to scare you into responding immediately. 

Want to learn more? Check out our How to Spot a Phishing Scam video.

If you receive a suspicious email, You can report it by forwarding the message to [click-for-email]. Do not respond to the message. You can also check systemstatus.temple.edu to check if a phishing attack has already been reported.

To identify if a message is a phishing scam, consider the following: 

• Are they requesting personal information? Red flag! Trustworthy companies and organizations will never ask you for your password, social security number or any personal information via email. 
• Does it sound too good to be true? Unexpected messages that offer money, fame, valuable gifts or anything that seems too ridiculous to be real, are better left alone. If you're uncertain, you can report it by forwarding the email to [click-for-email].
• Is there a sense of urgency? Scammers use threats and urgency to scare you into acting immediately. If you are concerned, always contact the organization directly whether by phone or online. Never reply to a suspicious email. 
• Who is the email from? Hover your mouse over the name of the sender in the From column to reveal email address of the sender. While it may appear to come from a person, business or organization you recognize, the email address ending may appear to be suspicious. 
• Are there spelling and/or grammar mistakes? While messages are becoming more sophisticated, often scammers misspell words. 
• Are the hyperlinks within the email legitimate? Hover your mouse over hyperlinks to reveal the URL. Often the hyperlink will lead to a fraudulent site. To be safe, visit websites directly by opening a new window and typing the URL. 
• Plain text? Logos? Email from a companies and organizations that you trust generally include the company's official logo. Often, scams are plain text.

Please contact the Technology Support Center immediately:

• Call: 215-204-8000
• Online and Chat: tuhelp.temple.edu
• Visit: Room 106, Bell Building

Similar to trying to obtain your personal information through a phishing email, a criminal may also resort to other means of communication such as in-person visits, phone calls, pop-up messages on your computer or text messages to manipulate or trick you into disclosing personal or confidential information in order to conduct fraud, gain system access or gather personal information about you or others at Temple University. Be mindful of these other scams and when in doubt, follow the steps below to report or check the authenticity/validity of the communication you received.