Every tax season, we see a rise in the number of email and phone scams targeting Rice financial information, especially payroll and W2 information. These scams attempt to steal this information directly or through stolen account passwords. For example, we have seen:
- Scammers sent phishing emails with links to fake websites to steal faculty and staff passwords. They used subjects like "Final Notice: Verify Your Account to Avoid Deactivation" and "Set Up Mandatory MFA Today".
- Scammers pretended to be members of the community, sending emails and calling employees asking for W2 information for faculty and staff.
We need to remain vigilant about the emails and phone calls we receive, especially those asking us to log into a website or provide private information. Have a question about something you received via email or on your phone? Ask the OIT Help Desk. They can work with the Information Security Office (ISO) to help determine if a request is legitimate.
If you have received a suspicious email, or have any questions, please contact the OIT Help Desk at 713-348-HELP or helpdesk@rice.edu as soon as possible.
Thank you for your help in protecting our private information.