Notice: New Email Scam Asking for Student Research Assistants
Please be aware that a new phishing email message is making the rounds asking for student research assistants.
Notice: New Email Scam Asking for Student Research Assistants
A fraudulent email message has been circulating offering a student research assistant position. This is not a new type of email, however, this one has stood out because the message depicts a JPEG image of the message, rather than a typed-out message. It is also alarming because it asks the receiver to message the sender via the Signal App, an open-source, encrypted messaging service.
The email contains content similar to the following:
From The Office of The Dean Salary
$400/Week
Hours: 10/Week
ABOUT THE POSITION: Miami University. The Dean's Office requires the services of student research assistants to work remotely and get paid $400 weekly. The research position is open to students from any department of the institution and tasks can be carried out remotely.
To proceed with the application, please text Prof. Soon-Jo Chung, Ph.D. at +1(323)-364-5861 using the Signal App, stating your full name, email address, year of study, and department to receive the job description and further application requirements. Once again, Failure to apply appropriately may cause a delay in processing your application.
Best Regards,
Prof. Jo Chung
Title: Professor Dean's Office
Miami University
If you receive this or a similar email, please do not respond or click on any links within; just delete the message. This is a common phishing practice to try to get recipients to respond to a message with personal data, build a relationship with the contact, and then request personal data like Unique IDs, social security numbers, or bank account information. This is also not how Miami usually advertises for jobs. That is done through Miami’s employment portal (MiamiOH.edu/jobs).
If you receive a message that you suspect to be a phishing message, please forward it to InfoSec@MiamiOH.edu. This allows the information security team to block sites that may be associated with phishing attacks. If you ever feel you may have responded to a fraudulent message or clicked a link in one, please contact IT Help immediately at 513-529-7900.
For more tips about remaining secure online and at Miami, visit the Security Corner.
