Hackers target employees, students with cunning scams

Hackers are targeting Rowan University employees and students with sophisticated scams at a rate we haven’t seen before. The sharp spike in scams this semester is specifically aimed at gaining access to employee data, direct deposit information and student accounts. 

Just today, a scam targeted students asking them to review and update bank information. If you responded to this email, which had the subject line “Important Notice: Financial Aid Disbursements,” please contact us immediately. If you did not respond, please delete it.

What You Need to Know

• Targeted attacks against employees with access to sensitive data: Hackers are impersonating Rowan University employees and calling Information Resources & Technology, Human Resources and Payroll to try to change passwords, cell phone numbers and direct deposit accounts. These departments have strong verification processes in place that have thwarted these recent attacks. However, we need everyone to stay vigilant. If you are contacted with a suspicious request about updating or changing employee information, contact us immediately. 
  
  
• Targeted attacks against students and employees who receive Duo codes via text: Hackers are successfully convincing students and employees to provide Duo codes sent via text messages. Once an attacker has this code, they can use it with a leaked password to gain access to your Rowan account and personal information, and/or send out phishing emails from your Rowan email address, as hackers have done in recent attacks.

What You Can Do to Stop Attacks

You can’t prevent a hacker from trying to break into your account, but you can stop them from gaining access with these tips:

• Never share your password or Duo verification codes with another person. If someone asks for it, it’s a scam. 
  
  
• Investigate emails before acting on them. Inspect the “From” field to see if the sender name matches the email address, and be wary of links to what appear to be Rowan websites sent to you by external accounts. Get more tips for spotting phishing emails on our website. 
  
  
• Validate your banking information. Ensure your paycheck is only going to accounts you’ve entered by verifying your direct deposit information in the Employee Dashboard in Self-Service Banner.