<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=38U458_1GpUFaes00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=38U458_1GpUFaes00" width="1200" height="800" ></figure>The University of North Florida Police Department is warning students, faculty, and staff about ongoing email phishing scams.UNFPD issued a campus-wide alert on Nov. 5 to raise awareness of the fraudulent emails. According to UNFPD Chief Frank Mackesy, the department estimates that at least 500 members of the campus community have received scam emails in recent weeks.“We’ve had three or four victims recently come forward, and one of them was taken for a few thousand dollars,” Mackesy said.Mackesy said that these scams typically target students by offering fake employment with unrealistically high pay, sometimes up to $50 an hour.Once students express interest in the role, scammers send a counterfeit check as advance payment. The student is then instructed to wire back a portion of the funds through electronic payment services like Cash App or via gift cards.“What ends up happening is [the student] ends up losing their own money because they find out three days later the checks aren’t real,” Mackesy said. “It’s not like a credit card. The students are held financially responsible by their banks.”While UNFPD investigates every reported incident, Mackesy said that scammers operate globally and employ sophisticated methods to evade law enforcement.“We try to track down IP addresses, but they’re bounced to two, three, or 400 different sites, making it extremely difficult to pinpoint their origin,” Mackesy explained. “They’re also increasingly using Bitcoin kiosks, which are virtually untraceable.”Phishing schemes extend far beyond campus grounds. Mackesy said that one of his own family members recently lost $35,000 to a similar scam.“[Scammers] play on people’s sense of wanting to do right,” Mackesy said. “In the case of what we’re experiencing on campus, it’s young people who could use the extra money, and scammers exploit their need for financial resources during college.”To avoid falling victim, Mackesy advises students to watch for red flags such as poor grammar and requests for personal passwords. He also recommends typing web addresses into a browser rather than clicking direct links in suspicious messages.Students can find tips to spot phishing scams on the UNF Service website. For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email protected].</div></body>

Block Source: unfspinnaker.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

The University of North Florida Police Department is warning students, faculty, and staff about ongoing email phishing scams. UNFPD issued a campus-wide alert on Nov. 5 to raise awareness of the fraudulent emails. According to UNFPD Chief Frank Mackesy, the department estimates that at least 500 members of the campus community have received scam emails in recent weeks.

UNFPD warns students about recent phishing scams

NewsBreak

The University of North Florida Police Department is warning students, faculty, and staff about ongoing email phishing scams. UNFPD issued a campus-wide al

UNFPD warns students about recent phishing scams

Comments