Emails from “System Administrator” or “Webmaster”? Social engineering prevention

2024/01/26

If you receive emails from “System Administrator” or “Webmaster”, with messages like “CONFIRM YOUR EMAIL IDENTITY”, “UPGRADE YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT”, “Email Account Verification Update”, “urgent matter”, “there will be serious consequences if you do not follow” and ask for your personal information such as “account”, “password”, “birthday”, etc. For example:

  • Inform that your mailbox is full and ask for your account and password.

  • Inform that your mailbox is full and ask you to reply your account and password to an external link.

  • Send you a viral e-card. If you open it, your computer will be hacked.

  • Inform that your host computer need maintenance and ask you to reply your account and password to an external link.

    This is a smart one!
         It knows to trick you with China Medical University (中國醫藥大學).

These are all scams!

These are all malicious social engineering. Hackers (fraud groups) will pretend to be system administrators, spread fake messages, and trick you to open files that contain malicious programs or links, to hack your personal accounts information and install viruses on your computer. Please pay attention and always be careful.

The best way to prevent malicious social engineering is to develop good habit. For example: do not open unknown files, do not click unknown hyperlinks, do not give away personal information (account and password), etc.

If you accidentally reveal your account and password, please change your password quickly to avoid account hacking. Please be careful, protect the computer security, and maintain the security of personal and school information.