Phishing emails are an attempt to collect your confidential information (usernames, passwords, or bank details) by sending an email pretending to be from a trusted source.
LSE is heavily targeted by phishing attempts. This is partly due to its large user base, but also because @lse.ac.uk is reputable and our email addresses are easily accessible from our website.
Some phishing signs to look out for...
- There are emails/ messages that have been held back, and you need to click on a link and enter your username and password to access them
- Your account has been ‘hacked’, and you need to pay in Bitcoins to prevent embarrassing content being sent to all your contacts
- Your mailbox has exceeded its capacity, and you need to click on a link and enter your username and password to extend it
- There are high-paying jobs (e.g. mystery shopper) or easy low interest loans (up to 200k) available for you if you provide your personal and/or bank details
- You’ve been sent an attached invoice that needs to be paid immediately, and the email doesn’t quite say what it is
- You’re received a message that isn’t displaying, and there is link text saying ‘view entire message’
Advice and Actions
If you have replied or clicked on links contained in a suspicious email, or if you have given out your credentials through the link, please contact Tech Support as soon as possible: tech.support@lse.ac.uk.
Your account will be disabled while we check for any viruses or malware on your device and your password and security settings will need to be updated in due course.
To report a suspicious email, use the following steps:
- Create a new email in Outlook, with ‘Phishing Attempt’ in the subject line
- Click on ‘Attach Item’ (envelope and paperclip icon) and select the phishing email from the list
- Send to: phishing@lse.ac.uk
Spam often refers to junk mail or unsolicited emails.
To minimise the amounts of spam you receive:
- Be cautious of registering or publishing your LSE email address across various online services or social networks.
- Be cautious of the phone apps you are downloading which can share with third parties some of your information, and never respond to a spam, including to ‘unsubscribe’, as this incurs more spam.
- Set the email rule under your LSE account, to direct the spam or any other unwanted emails straight to the junk box.
To protect your personal emails, use the spam email filter.
Almost all major email services do some basic filtering before messages hit your Inbox, and provide you with options to block unwanted emails.
For more protection you can also purchase add-on spam tools for your personal machine to weed out and stop junk mail.
Related Information
Remember if you suspect an email is not legitimate, do not reply, and do not click on any links or download any attachments. If you have any doubts, contact us!
LSE Phishing
LSE Phishing Anne Hewitt, Charlie White