Once cybercriminals have stolen the WSU account credentials, they will hijack the accounts and use them fraudulently.
A Sample of the WSU Phishing Email
From: Ratanalert, Praepat
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2017 8:59 AM
To: praepat.ratanalert@wdu.edu
Subject: Dear Wsu User,
Dear Wsu User,
We are currently updating our Mail database due to the new webmaster administrative policy These maintenance of quarantine will help us Upgrade our Mail database.
Kindly update your account by Clicking on Wsu Web maintenance
We apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused you.
Sincerely,
Washington State University © 2017
Web admin.
Washington State University (WSU) users who have already been tricked by the phishing email scam, are asked to contact the Washington State University's I.T department for help.
Washington State University (WSU) email users should not click on a link to sign into their accounts, even if the email message appears to have been sent from a legitimate email address. It is recommended that they go directly to www.wsu.edu, click on “Email Login” or “myWSU,” and sign-in from there. Once they have signed into their accounts, they will be able to change their passwords, receive notifications if there is any change to their accounts, or if there is something that needs to be done to their accounts. Or, they can report suspicious email messages to their I.T department.
Signing in from www.wsu.edu is the most effective way Washington State University users can protect themselves against phishing scams and not become victims of cyber crimes.