Wake Forest University

Phishing

Phishing scams are emails or other messages that appear to come from a known sender, but are actually sent by hackers or other dangerous entities. Phishing emails often ask a user to click on a fraudulent link, or request personal information such as a password or banking information.

Phishing scams are increasingly prevalent. Although a number of emails are flagged for phishing by Google, some suspicious messages have the potential to circumvent filters. We have created this page to share with you some of the recent phishing scams currently in circulation. 

Recent Phishing Scams

Thief with a fishing pole linked to a woman's laptop, indicating he is phishing for her data

Protect your data this fall: avoid back-to-school internship phishing schemes

Fellow Deacs have recently reported receiving phishing emails offering internship opportunities for employment. Additionally, these phishing emails have reached a select portion of Wake Forest affiliated education programs, and even appear to come from a wfu.edu email address.  Scammers know the campus community could be particularly vulnerable as we begin the new academic year. We…

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image of a cyber criminal with a fishing pool attempting to catch a file of personal data

Cyber-shop with Caution: Security Tips for Upcoming Summer Promotions

With “end of summer” and “back-to-school” promotions around the corner, use your best judgment when it comes to clicking promotional links, downloading coupon files, or responding to unsolicited texts or phone calls. Online retail events such as Amazon Prime Day, Cyber Monday, and others can make it more difficult to spot a phishing attempt. Remain…

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a letter on a computer with a magnifying glass looking at it

Did You Receive an Email from Brightly?

Fellow students have recently reported receiving phishing emails offering post-graduation internship opportunities for employment or Honor Society membership. Some of these emails even appear to come from a wfu.edu email address. 

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Do not become a phishing victim: 

  • Never provide your personal information in response to urgent emails, text messages or phone calls that instruct you to click a link to confirm your payment or enter more information 
  • View your Wake Forest email in the Gmail web interface or Gmail app on your mobile device to leverage warning banners across suspicious messages. 

Learn more!