Spoofing Emails

What are they?

They are emails that appear to be from QMUL members of staff. The initial reaction is that sender has been “hacked” but they have sadly been the victim of a spoofing attack.

Their name has been used to lure you into a false sense of security, attempting to gain personal details or your IT credentials. They, nor their IT department have any control of this as the email originates from an external source.

Unfortunately, this is fairly easy to accomplish with current email standards and is near impossible to prevent.

What to look for?

• Check the sender email address matches the display name.
• Read the email and consider the tone, grammar and if it is something that they would request.
• Do not click on any links or attachments within the email.
• Do not reply to the email or contact the fraudulent senders in any way.
• Look to see if the signature is consistent with other emails you have received in the past.

What to do?

If you think you have responded to an undesirable email, here are some steps to protect your account and machine:

• Change your password for any accounts which you believe have been compromised
• Run a full virus scan of the machine
• Forward the message to the IT Service Desk if you are not sure if the email is legitimate – servicedesk@qmul.ac.uk