Beware of Phishing Attempts Related to Global Tech Outage

The UBC Cybersecurity team is seeing a significant increase in phishing attempts related to a recent global tech outage. Cybercriminals are taking advantage of this situation to steal personal and sensitive information.

Please be extremely cautious of emails claiming to offer help, solutions, or compensation related to the outage. These emails are likely phishing attempts.

Specific Phishing Indicators Related to this Global Outage

• Claims to offer a fix or solution: Be cautious of emails promising to resolve computer issues.
• Requests for personal information related to computer issues: Never provide any personal information, even if it seems relevant to troubleshooting.
• Offers of compensation or refunds related to the outage: Be wary of unsolicited offers, as they are likely scams.
• Dire warnings about data loss or account compromise: These tactics are often used to create a sense of urgency and panic.

Common indicators of a phishing email include:

• Urgent and demanding language
• Suspicious sender email address
• Generic greetings
• Requests for personal information
• Suspicious links or attachments
• Poor grammar and spelling

If you receive an email that you suspect is a phishing attempt, please forward it as an attachment to the UBC Cybersecurity team at security@ubc.ca. Do not click on any links or open attachments.

Go Further:

• How to protect yourself from a phishing attack