Be a Wolf, Not a Phish: Three Tips to Avoid Phishing Scams

The start of a new semester is peak time for phishing scams. As scams get more sophisticated, they get harder to spot.

Phishing comes in many forms — like email, text or even documents shared through Google Drive. Scammers try to trick you into clicking links that download harmful software onto your device or send you to a fake website or Shibboleth login page to steal your personal information or sensitive university data.

Common scams that target our campus community include:

• Docusign payroll scams
• Offers for free pension reviews
• Job offers for students that seem too good to be true

To avoid these and other phishing scams, keep the following tips in mind:

1. Be Suspicious

• Be wary of anyone asking for your contact, financial or login information.
• Assume that any threat or request for money is a scam. Do not respond or send payment.
• Always verify the email sender’s address, even if it seems familiar.

2. Take Your Time

• Think before you open an attachment, click a link, provide your username and password, or approve a Duo Security notification.
• Carefully examine all URLs before clicking them.
• Slow down and keep an eye out for an unusual sense of urgency, awkward wording and misspellings.

3. Ask for Help

• If you think you’re being targeted by a scam, get a second opinion from someone you trust.
• When in doubt, report:
  • Contact the NC State Help Desk via the NC State IT Service Portal or call 919.515.HELP (4357).
  • Send suspicious emails to phishing@ncsu.edu.
  • Use Google’s built-in reporting feature. Open the suspicious email on a computer, click the More option (three vertical dots) at the top-right corner and select Report phishing.

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