Phishing
Learn how to recognize phishing scams, protect your Adelphi account, and take action if you’ve clicked on a suspicious link or shared information by mistake.
How to Keep Your Data Safe at Adelphi
- Never share sensitive information. Never share your password or banking details in Google Forms or other untrusted forms. Always sign in through Single Sign-On (SSO) for eCampus, and remember that no one at Adelphi will ever ask for your password. Enable multifactor authentication (MFA) and keep your password and recovery methods up to date.
- Use secure devices and websites. Look for “https” and a lock icon when submitting sensitive information online. Keep your operating system, software, and antivirus programs updated, and back up important files regularly.
- Stay cautious and get help when needed. If something seems suspicious or you’re unsure, contact the IT Help Desk before taking any action.
How We’re Enhancing Your Email Security
To bolster our defenses against sophisticated phishing attacks, Adelphi University also uses Abnormal AI to help detect and block phishing and other email-based threats. This advanced protection works behind the scenes to keep your Gmail account safer and more secure.
How to Spot Phishing Attempts
Below are screenshots of a phishing attempt targeting Adelphi users. Review the notes on each screenshot to learn what to watch for. When in doubt, call the IT Help Desk before proceeding.
We are experiencing an ongoing cyber attack in which an attacker targets students to compromise banking details. In these fake messages, victims are asked to complete a Google Form, similar to the one below.
This form was hosted on a non-Adelphi domain and asks for your password, which is proof it’s not legitimate.
Red Flag: The form’s domain is not hosted by Adelphi.
Reminder: Always scroll to the bottom of a Google Form to check its domain.
Official Adelphi messages are sent directly to you or to an official distribution list—never to hundreds of unrelated addresses.
Red Flag: The message in this example was sent to hundreds of unrelated email addresses.
Hovering over this link shows it goes to a site outside Adelphi, even though it looks official.
Red Flag: Hovering over a link shows the URL does not match the text in the email.
Phishing attempts often include fake phone numbers or email addresses. Always verify before responding.
Red Flag: The phone number and email that were listed are incorrect.
Be suspicious of any email with urgent requests to reset your username/password. Never send your username/password or other confidential data in an email to anyone, not even to us!
How to Report a Phishing Scam
Responded to a phishing email? Here’s what to do next:
- Call our IT Help Desk at 516.877.3340 immediately if you accidentally responded to a suspected phishing message
- Follow the instructions from Google on how to report spam emails in Gmail
- Reset your Adelphi password if you responded to any suspicious messages
While our IT team works hard to keep our network secure, some threats can bypass our defenses. Please remember that Adelphi IT will never ask for your password or sensitive information via email, phone, or Google Form.