We have recently noticed an increase in phishing emails targeting UW—Madison and SMPH. Criminals try to scam us via email, postal mail, text, and phone. UW—Madison staff and students periodically receive malicious messages from @wisc.edu senders. Recent emails have come from legitimate wisc.edu accounts, often as a result of compromised credentials.
If you’ve recently received an email to your @wisc.edu account and are unsure whether it’s real or a scam, you can check it against the scam alerts subject lines table.
Phishing emails often appear to be from legitimate sources and may ask you to click on a link or provide sensitive information.
To help protect yourself and the university, stay proactive about cybersecurity. Never share your login credentials with anyone, avoid accessing any sensitive information on any public or shared computers, and always verify suspicious emails. Learn more about IT security policies and recommendations here: UW–Madison IT Credentials Policy (UW-528).
Please be vigilant and follow these guidelines to protect yourself:
- Verify the Sender: Check the sender’s email address carefully. Phishing emails often use addresses that look similar to legitimate ones. UW–Madison staff and students periodically receive malicious messages from @wisc.edu senders. If you’ve recently received an email to your @wisc.edu account and are unsure whether it’s real or a scam, you can check it against this table: https://it.wisc.edu/scam-alerts/#subjects
- Look for Red Flags: Be cautious of emails that create a sense of urgency, ask for personal information, or contain suspicious links or attachments.
- Do Not Click on Links: Hover over any links to see where they lead before clicking. If in doubt, do not click on the link.
- Report Suspicious Emails: If you receive a suspicious email, do not respond to it. Instead, report it to our IT department immediately.
Your awareness and caution are crucial in keeping our organization secure. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact SMPH Cybersecurity at security@med.wisc.edu.