Don’t respond to suspicious email messages!

Cybercriminals are sending out millions of emails a day to steal money (spam) or to obtain usernames, passwords or other sensitive information in a practice known as phishing. ICTS does its utmost to block such email messages automatically in advance, but criminals keep inventing new tricks and they are becoming smarter and more professional. All end users will therefore also have to remain alert at all times. Replying to an email or clicking on a link can have serious consequences.

Here are a few tips:

• Consider whether you would expect an email message from this particular sender or with this particular content.
• Check the real sender's address by hovering your mouse over it (without clicking on it), or by tapping the link a little longer on an iPad.
• Many cyber criminals use a (Hotmail, Gmail or other) sender address that may look familiar, but is in fact fake. Typical example: colleague's name followed by digit 'at' hotmail.com.
• Pay special attention to email messages purporting to come from a manager or supervisor, with unexpected but otherwise 'innocent' questions. The first such question often only serves to gain your trust.
• Servicedesk ICTS, your bank or insurance company will never ask you for your password or other sensitive information by email. 
• When in doubt, please ask the sender for confirmation by phone, or by sending them an app message or an email to the address you have in your own address book.
• In case of obvious spam, don't click on "unsubscribe" - this will only serve to let the scammers know that your address is active. Instead, just delete the message.
• When in doubt, ask your local support staff for advice or forward suspicious messages to servicedesk-icts@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Cartoon: Ruben L. Oppenheimer