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.
The reason for attempting to gain access to course materials seems unclear and the requests have come from both @berkeley.edu addresses and personal accounts like @gmail.com. Please remember that even if an email comes from a legitimate @berkeley.edu address, the sender may misrepresent their relationship to the campus when seeking access, so these requests should be evaluated carefully.
The most recent frauds have had subject lines like:
- bCourse for [name and number of course]
- bCourses for [term]
Tips if Something Seems Off:
- The email was unexpected and from an unknown sender.
Follow up with the sender separately
If you didn’t expect it, reject it. Or follow up with the individual directly in a separate email or call/text to confirm.
Report and/or flag it
Open the message
To the right of the 'Reply' arrow select 'More' (typically denoted with three vertical dots)
Then 'Report phishing'
For suspicious messages received by text, please take a screen shot and forward the message to phishing@berkeley.eduFor more information visit https://security.berkeley.edu/resources/phishing
Original Message:
