FBI warns of scam targeting student direct deposit information

A new email scam that aims to illegally gain access to student accounts and change direct deposit information has targeted several universities across the country in recent months, according to the FBI. 

In one instance, a number of students at a university received an email requesting their login credentials for an internal website. Using that information, the scammers were able to steal roughly $75,000 in financial aid disbursements from 21 students by rerouting direct deposit payments to an outside bank account.  

Similar scams have been reported at universities and colleges across the country, including ones that invited students to view and confirm their updated billing statements by logging in to the school’s student portals.  

Please be on the lookout for these type of scams and use these tips to help protect yourself:

• ​Verify before you click. Hover your cursor over embedded links to see where they’ll lead you before clicking. Also, do not open any attachments you are not expecting. 
• Look for red flags. Emails with obvious spelling and grammatical errors, or generic greetings like, “Dear Customer,” are likely scams. If you receive a suspicious email that looks like it came from a trusted source, call the sender and ask if they sent it. 
• When in doubt, throw it out. We need you to help us protect the Rowan University network by staying alert for possible scams. If you receive a suspicious email, delete it. 
• Safeguard personal information. Never share your personal or financial information on the internet, over the phone or in-person unless you’ve initiated the contact or know who you are dealing with. Remember that no one involved with technology at Rowan University will ever ask for your password through an email for any reason. ​

Contact the Technology Support Center immediately if you think you may have opened a suspicious link or attachment and forward any suspicious email to support@rowan.edu as soon as you see it. Quick action will help minimize the risk for the entire University.