IT Tech Tips: Is it Phishing or Is It Real?

From the IT Group: You just received an email from UPS. It looks real enough. It has the standard UPS logo at the top of the page and their classic brown and blue color scheme. It says:

Attention Virus Warning
We have become aware there is a fraudulent e-mail being sent that says it is coming from UPS and leads the reader to believe that a UPS shipment could not be delivered. The reader is advised to open an attachment reportedly containing a waybill for the shipment to be picked up.

This e-mail attachment contains a virus. We recommend that you do not open the attachment, but delete the e-mail immediately. UPS may send official notification messages on occasion, but they rarely include attachments. If you receive a notification message that includes an attachment and are in doubt about its authenticity, please contact customerservice@ups.com.

Please note that UPS takes its customer relationships very seriously but cannot take responsibility for the unauthorized actions of third parties.

Thank you for your attention.

So, is this real or is it Phishing? Our friends at Sonic Wall will tell you that this email is legitimate. You can tell because it doesn’t ask you to do anything related to this email. Typically a Phisher will ask you to “click” here to validate or check something. They also provide you with an email link to contact them rather than a web link. While the email above doesn’t address you specifically by name, given the general nature of this email, it is not required.

We hope this information helps you to continue to develop an awareness about Phishing, so when you receive a suspicious email, you will feel more confident. However, whenever you are in doubt, do not hesitate to contact the HelpDesk (8-2532), or stop by our office on the second floor of Elliot Hall. We will be glad to help.