Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/ The Cougar
UH has seen a surge in phishing scams recently, with job and internship scams becoming increasingly prevalent.
One notable case involved a fraudulent internship opportunity under the name Taylor Spelman from CUNY, which was sent directly to UH student emails, misleading recipients into believing it was a legitimate offer.
The email in question asked for personal information common of a scam that a genuine job or internship offer would not ask for over email. The email proceeded by listing its required details as student id number, full name, current address, email, age and phone number.
In their follow-up email, UH noted that “No true employer will ever ask you to provide a student ID number or banking information prior to being hired or to purchase gift cards on their behalf.”
As for why these seemingly legitimate opportunities are sent to UH emails, despite having spam flagging and safeguards in place, some phishing attempts can still slip through the cracks and scammers will specifically tailor messages to appeal to college students.
Additionally, UH acknowledges that university emails are publicly accessible, which may contribute to the issue.
“The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers target college students with promising job opportunities that appeal to college students, such as virtual jobs, part-time employment, and even go as far as sending a paycheck before the student starts working,” said UH in the email. “Please remember that your UH email address (@uh.edu) is publically available on the UH website directory and may increase the amount of junk mail you receive, including job scams.”
English creative writing junior Jaqueline Mata shared her thoughts on whether she has received any official warnings from UH about phishing scams and if the university provides enough warnings and resources to help students avoid them.
“I think during my first year at UH, they sent out an email warning us about a phishing scam that was circulating, but recently, I don’t believe I’ve received any emails warning about phishing scams,” said Mata. “From what I’ve seen, I don’t think they specifically discuss them. There may be warnings here and there, but they’re very minor, and I feel like it’s easy for students to brush them aside and dismiss them.”
Contrarily, some students believe that UH does provide enough warnings and resources to help students avoid phishing scams.
Some students feel that the available resources are adequate and that it is ultimately up to individuals to stay informed and to make sure to always educate themselves before submitting any information anywhere.
“I do think that the university provides enough resources to avoid scams. I get more prevention emails than I do actual scams” said communication media studies junior Tracy Quiroga. “Know enough about the job to catch a liar, don’t jump into something if you know nothing about it.”
UH provides numerous resources on recognizing, avoiding and reporting phishing scams on their admin sites. Multiple pages list guidelines on identifying suspicious emails, steps to take if a student encounters a potential scam, and instructions on how to report phishing attempts.
These resources aim to educate students on cybersecurity threats and help them stay vigilant against online scams.
