Phishers Targeted Illinois University Students With Fake E-Mail

As per the recent reports from ILSTU, phishers find university campuses attractive spot for carrying out phishing e-mail attacks, and Illinois State University is one of the universities that has been repeatedly beset by phishing frauds.

Security researchers and experts allege that the "foreign dignitary" getting in touch with students through messages may be an imposter and might not have the money to give for scholarships as promised in the emails. These mails were solely intended to deceive the recipients into divulging all the requisite private information just like other phishing scams.

Carla Birckelbaw, Director of Computer Infrastructure Support Services (CISS), Illinois State University, informed that several e-mails were sent to students and purporting to be from the Illinois State University Team, as reported by DAILY VIDETTE on September 9, 2008.

Carla further said that the phishing e-mails ask students to provide their password to check their account, permitting cyber-terrorists or phishers to enter the system, and fulfill their job effectively.

These phishing attacks are targeted at everyone holding an e-mail account with the Illinois State University (ILSU).

Furthermore, the security officials revealed that these phishing messages express complete familiarity about Illinois University; therefore, they appear more genuine and reliable to the recipient.

Although there is not much information on the exact number of students ensnared by the phishers, Birckelbaw noted that a number of students were giving away their passwords to these scammers, causing the university to release an official warrant to the students notifying them that they had been conned by phishers.

Security experts at leading US universities concurred with Birckelbaw, when she stated that prevention of such phishing scams by providing support to safety and education was the main focus of Computer Infrastructure and Support Services. According to Birckelbaw, it was now their first priority.

Meanwhile, security experts presented some tips to students for helping them to identify phishing scams or other Internet frauds, and stop them from disclosing their private details (to anybody online), as it may end up in the phisher's hands.

Related article: Phishers Expand Their Sphere of Attacks

» SPAMfighter News - 9/15/2008