We typically see a surge in phishing at the beginning of each fall semester.  The trend has continued this year with a substantive increase in emails being launched from compromised university accounts or masquerading as institutional messaging.  We have actively locked numerous accounts and intervened to disrupt social engineering scams where the perpetrator poses as a friend, colleague, or supervisor and then leverages this connection to request the purchase of gift cards.  It is impossible to block every attempt, and good judgement remains the best defense against phishing.  We are raising awareness by communicating with students, faculty, and staff through multiple channels about ways to protect their information, money, and identity.  We ask that you help us by providing information and support to the people in your area.  Educational resources are available at security.uconn.edu.  If people suspect that they have been a victim of a phishing scam, they may always contact the ITS Technology Support Center at techsupport@uconn.edu or 860-486-4357 for assistance.

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