Overview
A phishing email campaign is targeting faculty, staff, and students with a subject similar to “A Gift From Mrs. Carrie (XXX-XXX-XXX)”. These messages may promise a gift or urgent financial assistance and attempt to direct you to send money through payment apps or provide personal and financial information. This is not a legitimate University communication. Never provide personal or financial information unless you are certain the request is from a trusted source.
What to do if you have already responded or provided information:
If you sent money or interacted in Venmo:
Open the transaction in Venmo and select Report a Problem.
Report the user in the Venmo app and contact Venmo Support through the Help Center.
If your Venmo is linked to a bank account or card, contact that institution immediately to block the payment method and monitor for unauthorized activity.
If you used Chime:
Open the transaction in Chime and dispute the charge.
Contact Chime Member Services from the app or website and request a review of the transaction.
If your Chime debit card or routing and account numbers were shared, ask Chime to block the card, replace the card, or secure the account and monitor for additional activity.
Review recent transactions and set up account alerts.
If you used Apple Pay:
Open Wallet, select the card, and review Latest Transactions. Dispute any unauthorized charges with the card issuer from within Wallet.
If you sent money with Apple Cash, open Wallet → Apple Cash, contact Apple Support, and dispute the payment.
Consider removing and re-adding affected cards in Wallet after your bank issues replacements.
Enable device passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, and ensure Find My is on for remote lock if your device is lost.
If you provided general credit card or bank information:
Contact your bank or card issuer immediately. Ask to freeze or replace the card or account and to enable real-time transaction alerts.
Review recent transactions and report any unauthorized charges.
Consider placing a fraud alert with a credit bureau. A fraud alert on one bureau typically notifies the others.
For heightened protection, consider a credit freeze with each bureau.
Change passwords for any financial accounts that share the same or similar password and enable two factor authentication.
If you provided SJU credentials:
Reset your SJU password immediately.
Review your SJU accounts for unusual activity and enable two factor authentication where available.
If you are unsure what you shared
Monitor all financial and payment accounts for unfamiliar activity.
Change passwords on payment apps, email, and banking services.
Be cautious with unsolicited offers of gifts or requests for payment.
If you need help resetting your password or assessing potential account compromise, contact the Technology Service Center at 610-660-2920.
General Phishing Advice
The Office of Information Technology (OIT) will NEVER ask you to provide your username and password. If you receive an email that requests this information, delete it immediately. If you believe your account may have been compromised, reset your password and monitor your account for unusual activity.
Never provide personal information (e.g., social security number, date of birth, or account information) via email, phone, text, or social media.
Use strong, unique passwords or passphrases. Change your password only if you suspect your account has been compromised, and avoid duplicating passwords across accounts. We recommend that you use a passphrase generator.
Do not click on links or download attachments from phishing emails or emails where you are not certain of the sender. Do not reply to or engage with the email in any way. Report it immediately to Google or contact the TSC at 610-660-2920, then delete the email.