It's scam season: Here's what you should look out for

Tax season is scam season, so please be extra vigilant in the coming weeks when you receive an email that directs you to log in to a website with your Rowan credentials to access or update financial and other personal information. 

Some common scams that you should look out for include:

• W-2 scam: This scam targets tax records through emails that claim your W-2 form is ready to view online and provide a direct link to view the form. If you receive your W-2 form electronically, Payroll Services will send you an email with instructions for accessing your W-2 form in Self-Service Banner. The email will not contain a direct link to log in to view or print your W-2 form. 
   
• Email storage quota scam: This scam claims your email has exceeded a set storage limit and prompts you to click on a link to increase your quota or restore access to your email. The link directs you to a malicious website that will steal your username and password. If you are close to exceeding your email storage limit at Rowan University, you will receive an email instructing you to reduce the size of your mailbox by deleting old emails. The email will not contain a direct link to increase your email quota.
   
• Payroll scam: This scam alerts you to an alleged change in your payroll information and directs you to log in to a website to verify the update. Scammers may then use your stolen username and password to access and divert your paycheck.
   
• Gift card scam: Gift card scams often start with an email or text message that asks: “Are you available?” If you respond, the scammer — posing as a person in a leadership position — claims they are caught in a meeting, requests you purchase gift cards on their behalf and promises to reimburse you later.

In addition to looking out for these common scams, we encourage you to take extra precaution when evaluating whether to click on a link or take another action in response to a message that has been marked as [EXTERNAL]. This label is applied to emails sent from non-Rowan University email addresses in order to flag potential phishing scams, most of which originate with external senders. 

Cybercriminals are always scheming up new ways to trick you into giving them your usernames and passwords, so, it’s important to know how to spot a scam. Use our tips for spotting phishing scams and malicious websites to help protect yourself, take our quick security training that provides you with skills to spot various scams and always check our list of known scams if you receive an email you think is suspicious. 

 If you have a question about a suspicious email or text message you received, please contact the Technology Support Center at 856-256-4400 or support@rowan.edu, and we’ll help you determine whether it’s legitimate or not.

Contact Information:

Technology Support Center
856-256-4400
support.rowan.edu
support@rowan.edu