The Office of Information Security has observed a trend in which criminals impersonate Dean David Perlmutter over text message. Impersonation is one of the most effective social engineering tactics used by scammers, and it can be particularly powerful when the person being impersonated is in a position of authority.
If you see a message like the one below, please do not interact with the sender and do not follow any special instructions. When in doubt, you can always reach out to the person being impersonated using known contact methods. Please be aware of the following tips for recognizing these types of tech support scams.
- Be suspicious of any text claiming to be from WashU leadership, especially if it comes from an unknown number.
- The impersonator doesn’t want to be called. If they answered, they’d be exposed.
- Report any phishing texts (instructions in next section).
Here are some helpful tips for avoiding a scam like this one:
If you receive a suspicious text message, the best action to take depends on the situation. Since texts aren’t managed by WashU IT systems, you will often need to reach out to your specific provider.
- If it’s clearly fake, report it.
- If you aren’t sure if it’s a fake, use a known contact method to verify the text.
- If you get a very vague and tentative message like “How are you?” or even just your name (or someone else’s) with a question mark, we recommend ignoring it or reporting it.
- It is risky to respond with a question like “Who is this?” because the scammer now knows you’re there and will try to engage you. First, they will use the same number but then try from other numbers.
- If someone you know is trying to contact you from a new number, it’s their obligation to properly identify themselves, explain themselves, and not ask you for gift cards.
Protect Yourself from Phish Texts and Calls
Vishing | Office of Information Security | Washington University in St. Louis (wustl.edu)