News

Our office has received a number of reports recently of bogus offers for free or discounted convert tickets offered in UCB student platforms (discord, chatgroups, etc.).

July 15, 2025: We are starting to see another wave of phishing attacks designed to steal credentials and reroute UCPath Direct Deposit.

What makes these phishing?

The newest fake emails may reference a pending investigation of misconduct, to which they then ask you to enter your CalNet credentials on a very authentic-looking, but fake, CAS page. 

We are seeing a spike in sophisticated tactics used to phish for credentials that are then used in concert with other methods to redirect direct deposit routing in UCPath.

These new tactics involve phishing emails, text messages, and highly accurate - but fake - UCPath websites.

Unknown parties are sending fake Google Doc Shares with an urgent subject line. They usually refer to lawsuits or debt collection.

The bad actor is using the same Google Doc service, so the 'from' email will be the service email (via Google Drive)" <drive-shares-noreply@google.com>. The name of the sender

"Lаthаm & Wаtkins Dеbt ...

"MоrgɑnLеwis© - Suppоrt...

is made to sound official but is fake. 

Many bMail account holders have recently received fake messages indicating an ACH Payment or Electronic Fund transfer. 

The University of California's Cyber-Risk Coordination Center (C3) published its 2024 Annual Report. The report highlights progress in improving cybersecurity across the university. The insights in the report underscore the UC's commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats and continuously improving its cybersecurity posture.

We’ve made some changes to our network security setup, which will affect how you experience logging into the campus bSecure VPN.

Why the Change?

• Better security - This new method allows you to use your preferred browser, so outdated browsers like Internet Explorer (which is no longer supported and receiving security patches) won’t be used. 

An ineligible former Summer Session student is attempting to contact faculty directly and be added to many bCourses. 

What makes this a phishing message?

In the Spring of 2024, a very similar incident occurred. The messages are usually send from an @gmail.com account, but may come from @berkeley.edu emails.

This phony Staff Assessment notification was received by many bMail users. It is part of a credential stealing attempt.

What makes this a phishing message?

The senders email is not a @berkeley.edu email, likely a compromised account from the Austin, TX school district @austinisd.org

This targeted phishing scam uses urgency indicating a task to complete.

The target page below is a free Jot webform. campus users will never be asked to enter their CalNet credentials in any site that is not a UCB CAS authentication page.

This phony email was sent impersonating a UC Berkeley administrative department. It was attempting to get users to click with a bogus $2,250 financial bonus for eligible faculty and staff.

What makes this a phishing message?

The sender is not an @berkeley.edu sender and the login page is NOT an official CalNet CAS page.

This targeted phishing scam uses financial motivation and curiosity to attempt to get campus affiliates to send their usernames, emails, and passwords.

This fake email was sent to a number of teaching faculty members, alerting them falsely that they were exposed to a student in class with Covid.

What makes this a phishing message?

This targeted phishing scam pretending to be a UC WarnMe Health alert.

This targeted phishing scam uses urgency and fear to cause the recipients to act, the text is also very well done and the non-UCB link is obscured.

Tips if Something Seems Off:

UC Berkeley Help Desks will NEVER initiate contact directly via text to personal cell phone numbers.

Overview

Every Windows product has a lifecycle, and that lifecycle ends when it no longer receives security updates or fixes, software updates, and/or technical support. On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will discontinue support for the Windows 10 Operating System. Without security patches, these systems will be easy targets for hackers, malware, and viruses.

This phony potential Covid contact alert was received by many users sent to their Campus bMail accounts.

What makes this a phishing message?

This targeted phishing scam is using a fake UC Berkeley email address

From: UC Berkeley Alerts <CHI-Information@case.edu>

This targeted phishing scam directs user to a bogus CAS authentication page..

This fake email termination notification was received by many users on their personal cell phone numbers via text message.

What makes this a phishing message?

This targeted phishing scam is pretending to be a UC Berkeley technician and uses urgency and fear to cause the recipients to act, threatening loss of service (email).

Tips if Something Seems Off:

UC Berkeley Help Desks will NEVER initiate contact directly via test to personal cell phone numbers