Deactivation scares
Deactivation scares work because nothing scares people into reacting quicker than a deactivation notice saying your email account will be closed unless you take action now. You have probably gotten one of these. You probably got one today. Rarely a day goes by when we don’t get an email pretending to come from an organization we might or might not belong to. It claims your account will be deactivated if you don’t follow a convenient link, enter your login name and password, and take immediate action. These were once easy to spot because they looked fake. But these days, these scams look incredibly realistic and may even include “Beware of scammer” or “Scanned and cleaned by AV” notices.
So, what is the solution to these types of scams? Every time you click on a link, look at the browser bar and see if the URL matches exactly the one you would type in to go to your account. Better still? Make a habit of closing the email and typing the website address into your browser for anything like this. If you find yourself questioning an email, reach out to the MSUM IT Helpdesk and they can assist you.
MSUM IT Helpdesk
Library 122
1104 7th Ave S
Moorhead, MN 56563
218.477.2603
support@mnstate.edu