Security Highlights for Students
Rise in Job Scams Targeting Students
Scammers are targeting students with unsuspecting job opportunities which lead to victims loosing thousands of dollars. Read more about Job Scams here.
Phishing Scams
The beginning of a sophisticated cyber-attack usually starts with a phishing scam. A phishing scam is a social engineering attack that utilizes phone calls, email, social media, or a text message to trick a victim into disclosing information that he or she would typically not disclose. The end goal of phishing scams is usually the theft of login credentials such as usernames and passwords. Armed with the username and password of an individual, a cyber adversary can then masquerade as the victim, steal his or her personal information protected by those credentials.
Please be aware of "job offer" and "money transfer" scams targeting students. No legit company will hire people through emails and without an Interview; if a deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is a scam. Please visit our information to learn how to protect yourself from phishing about scams.
Please report actual or suspected phishing attempts and scams to the Information Technology Service Center at itsc@vcu.edu, 804-828-2227, or directly to the Information Security Office at infosec@vcu.edu.