Phishing Scam Strikes UH Students

Security researchers caution University of Hawaii students in Hawaii, USA that phishing e-mails are presently reaching their inboxes posing as messages from the Web-mail service of UH. Khon2.com reported this on August 15, 2011.

Addressing recipients of the e-mail, the messages' text states that the Hawaii Web-mail Service is blocking its Web-mail clients' access to the service. For, there'll be an upgrading of the user's e-mail account to one fresh improved user-interface of the Web-mail that hawaii.edu gave. A reply to the e-mail is sought, while Hawaii.edu will no longer utilize its Hawaii.edu Web-mail and its website interfaces, the text continues.

Thereafter, it states that to make sure that the user's e-mail id list remains on the Hawaii Web-mail database, it's urged that he enter his password, e-mail id and date-of-birth. Further, he should send the details back to the Hawaii Web-mail Service so that all his contacts can be transferred back to its fresh database of Web-mail client. While all his previous e-mails will stay intact during this transition, there'll be fresh unread e-mails for him as well. The Hawaii Web-mail Service is sure the user will welcome its fresh as also enhanced web-mail interface. But if he misses sending the requested info instantly then his access to the database of Hawaii.edu will be removed, the message adds.

One student Aulii De Sa got the e-mail, however, she didn't reply because according to her, one's password and e-mail id are just personal. Khon2.com published this.

Telling more about the phishing electronic mail, Gregg Takayama, Spokesperson of UH stated that examining carefully the sender's address, one would notice that the e-mail wasn't from any Hawaii.edu id. Within the current instance the UH hadn't as well as wouldn't request students to provide their private details over e-mail, he added. Khon2.com published this.

Conclusively, the above kinds of phishing attacks can be reduced if according to security specialists, users forward the electronic mails onto UH in order that required probe may be conducted as also other students aroused towards safeguarding themselves. Besides, using an anti-spam tool will also keep at bay any new phishing e-mail.

Related article: Phishing With A Redirector Code

» SPAMfighter News - 8/25/2011