Approximately 91% of cyberattacks begin with a phishing email. Phishing is a type of cyberattack in which attackers use fraudulent emails, messages, or websites to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or financial information, or to install malware on their devices.
To help members of the Kean community identify and report phishing attempts, the Kean IT Security Team has developed this Phish Bowl, which contains examples of phishing emails received by the university. Reviewing these examples can help you recognize common phishing techniques and better protect yourself and Kean University from cyber threats.
Clues to help you identify phishing:
- Urgent or threatening language – Messages that pressure you to act immediately using phrases such as “Act Now,” “Immediate Action Required,” or “Final Warning.”
- Requests for sensitive information – Emails asking for passwords, MFA codes, verification codes, financial information, or other confidential data.
- Suspicious links or attachments – Links to unexpected websites, shortened URLs, or attachments you were not expecting.
- Unexpected account or payment notifications – Messages claiming your account will be suspended, locked, or deleted, or requesting urgent payments, gift cards, or invoice approvals.
- Unusual sender information or message content – Messages with spelling errors, poor grammar, unusual requests, or an email address that does not match the claimed sender.
Report suspected phishes to the IT Service Desk
Use the built-in Report button in Microsoft Outlook to report phishing emails. If you are unsure whether an email is legitimate or malicious, submit an incident ticket to the IT Service Desk and forward the email to [email protected].
If you received a phishing email that is not listed below, forward it to [email protected] or [email protected].
Recent phishing examples
Select an example to view the screenshot and warning signs.