Beware of Phishing Scams

As you may be aware from recent news reports, Instructure, the company that provides our learning management system, Canvas, has confirmed a cybersecurity incident. While we are working closely with the vendor to monitor the situation, we want to ensure you have the information you need to stay safe online.

What you need to watch for

Some of the more common phishing scams are as follows:

• Extortion Emails: You may receive emails claiming they have "monitored your activity" or have "compromising information." These are scams designed to scare you into paying a ransom. Do not pay and do not reply.
• Fake Canvas Notifications: Look out for emails that look like official Canvas alerts (e.g., "New Message from Instructor" or "Account Expiring") that ask you to click a link to log in.
• Financial Aid or Refund Scams: Be wary of messages asking you to "verify your identity" to receive a tuition refund or scholarship.
• Job Offers which appear too good to be true.
• Requests to purchase gift cards.

How to protect yourself:

• Don’t Click Links: Beware of emails or text messages which ask you to validate your account by following a link.
• Verify the Sender: Check the "From" address carefully. Scammers often use addresses that look similar to official ones but have slight misspellings.
• Update Your Passwords: While passwords were not reported as part of this breach, it is always a good practice to use unique passwords for different accounts and enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) where available.

What you can do if you are suspicious about a message:

If you think the message might be real, use a different contact method to reach out to the person or company by getting their contact information anywhere else but from the e-mail. If you require assistance validating if a College sent or received e-mail is real, Contact the IT Service Desk:

• Local: 905-575-2199 - Option 2
• Toll-free: 1-866-601-8445
• Email: itservicedesk@mohawkcollege.ca

Please continue to report any new suspicious messages using the following steps:

• Microsoft 365: Right-Click on the SPAM email and select Mark as junk.
• Outlook Clients: Right-Click on the SPAM email and select Junk -> Report as Junk or Report as Phishing.

For further information on security best practices please visit mohawkcollege.ca/cybersafe