Phishing and spam emails

In 2019, over £1.2billion was stolen through fraud and scams. Please make sure to keep yourselves and the University safe by reading this guidance.

What is phishing?

Phishing describes attempts to obtain personal details from you via messages pretending to be from a trusted source. These messages are commonly sent via email, however can also be sent via text or social media. These personal details can include bank details, usernames and passwords, and account numbers.

These messages can look very convincing, looking exactly like the provider’s email and web pages. It is also very easy to forge the ‘sender address’ of a message, making it look all the more convincing.

Visit the Digital Hub for our top tips on detecting phishing scams.

What is spam?

Spam is viewed as irrelevant or unsolicited emails, sent typically to a large number of users. This is often for the purposes of phishing, advertising, or spreading malware.

The University works hard to prevent you from receiving spam. We scan emails for viruses, have a University spam blocking service, and we automatically send suspicious emails to your ‘Junk Mail’ folder. 

What do I do with a phishing or spam email?

If you receive a suspicious email, you should report it as phishing using the 'report message' button in Outlook. Visit the Digital Hub for guidance on how to do this. 

Doing this will also block the sender from sending further emails, and delete the email from your inbox. 

If you think you clicked a suspicious link or if your device isn't behaving as expected then contact the IT Service Desk immediately. If you have any doubts as to an email's origin or authenticity, forward the email to itsecurity@exeter.ac.uk.