One common phishing email making its way through the university is the gift-card scam. Fraudsters pose as your supervisor or a leader from your department or campus.

The scam typically starts with a brief email exchange, such as “are you in the office” or “have a special favor to ask.” If you respond, appearing to fall for the impersonation, your “supervisor” will ask you to promptly purchase several gift cards and email the card numbers to them.   

How do you avoid becoming a victim of these types of attacks? Ask yourself if the request makes sense. Check the email address of the sender. Does the sender's email address include an extension that you would expect (.edu, for example)? Whenever you receive an "urgent" email communication, the first thing you should do is contact the sender using another mode, such as phone or text message, and confirm that the email is legitimate.

And, remember: if something seems off to you, it probably is.