Campus Bulletin
Phony Financial Institution E-mails Top Our List of Complaints
It looks official, but you don't have an account at that bank or credit union ... or maybe you do.
Either way, if the e-mail asks you to provide information — especially private information like your account number — or directs you to a website requesting that information, we guarantee that you're being scammed. Throw it away immediately!
Called "phishing" or "spoofing," these fraudulent messages look official and appear to be sent by financial institutions, credit card companies, and anywhere else you might have money or private information such as eBay or PayPal. The website you're directed to will look just like the real one, too. It's not hard to do.
Legitimate companies, however, will never request information via e-mails that require you to follow a link to another site or call a phone number. If you're really not sure, call your financial institution or the company using a phone number you know is legitimate.
Protect yourself! Don't respond to those e-mail requests. Flag them as junk and throw them away. Replying will put your account at risk and may even allow the phishers to open new accounts with your identity.
You can read more about phishing and other scams in the Protect Yourself! section of this site.
IT User Advocate (abuse@umich.edu)
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