Phishing
Phishing is a name for fraudulent email messages sent by thieves to lure the recipient into divulging personal or financial information. Thieves can then use this information for mischief or profit.
These email messages pretend to be from well-known, legitimate businesses or organizations, and increasingly look as if they actually are. We’ve seen phishing messages sent to UCI email accounts that have used the NACS name and logo in an attempt to look as genuine as possible.
These messages will often try to create a sense of urgency so the recipient won’t stop to think about the legitimacy of the message.
If you suspect that you have received a phishing email, do not respond to it or click on the links. Reputable organizations, including NACS, will never send an email message requesting personal information such as passwords or financial information. Always be wary of messages requesting such personal information.
For ways to recognize phishing email messages, and for additional information about phishing, see http://security.uci.edu/email/phishing.php
If you are unsure whether an email message about your account is a phishing email or not, call the organization directly to determine the status of your account. The NACS Response Center may be contacted at 949-824-2222 for questions about UCI accounts.