September 1, 2009
Purdue community warned of e-mail scam
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue community is being warned about an e-mail scam that states the university is changing its domain name and urges recipients to update their Web links.
The scam is being orchestrated by someone claiming to be Purdue's webmaster, and the message appears to target organizations in the greater Lafayette community or otherwise affiliated to Purdue, though it could be directed at individuals affiliated with the university as well, said Scott Ksander, executive director of IT networks and security. The link referenced in the scam e-mail points to a fraudulent Web page intended to mimic Purdue's home page, Ksander said.
He said the university is not changing its domain name or home page address, and the home page is not becoming a .com site. Users should immediately delete these e-mails and not reply or take the requested action.
Ksander said these types of so-called phishing scams attempt to fraudulently acquire information by masquerading as being from an authoritative source.
Writer: Jim Bush, 765-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu
Source: Scott Ksander, 765-496-8289, ksander@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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