Pitt Information Technology is aware of a new variation of a recent phishing scam claiming that your Pitt Email will be terminated unless you provide your email address and password. The email may use a Subject line similar to “ALERT FROM PITT!” and includes an attachment that links to a Pitt-branded Google form which prompts you to enter your password.

Below is a sample of the scam. Individuals who have responded to the scam and provided their credentials should immediately change their password by searching for “change my password” at myPitt (my.pitt.edu).

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Subject: ALERT FROM PITT!

READ NOTICE NOW!

THIS PITT FILE ABOVE REQUIRES YOUR ATTENTION IF YOU WISH TO KEEP YOUR PITT EDU EMAIL!

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Guidance for spotting phishing scams is available on Pitt IT’s website. Keep in mind these key points:

• Only approve multifactor authentication (Duo) requests that you have initiated. Duo is designed to prevent unauthorized access to your information and University data, but it requires constant vigilance. Never tap “Approve” if you receive a Duo authentication request that you were not expecting. Uninitiated authentication requests may be an attacker attempting to compromise your Pitt account. The only safe Duo authentication request you will receive is one you request when logging in to University services.
• Do not reply to unsolicited emails or emails from unverifiable sources. If you were not expecting to receive such an email, confirm with the sender prior to interacting with the message. If you must interact with the message, avoid clicking on links contained in such emails. These may lead to sites that contain malicious software, or sites that attempt to steal your credentials. If a link looks suspicious, you can hover over the link with your mouse to preview the URL without clicking on it.
• Be extra cautious if you automatically forward your University email. Automatically forwarding your University email to a non-University address (for example, gmail.com, hotmail.com, or upmc.edu) circumvents some of the security measures Pitt IT puts in place to protect you against phishing scams.
• Report suspected phishing scams. To report a phishing scam, forward the phishing email as an attachment to phish@pitt.edu. 
• Stay safe when scanning QR codes. Never scan a QR code from an unknown or untrustworthy source. When you do scan a QR code, be sure to use a scanner app that provides a preview of the destination so that you can review the URL and decide if it is safe. If you scan a QR code and the site is unrelated to what you scanned or requires a login, close out of your browser immediately.
• Install an antivirus solution for personal devices. Staff and faculty should be using Microsoft Defender to protect University-owned devices.

Please contact the Technology Help Desk at +1-412-624-HELP (4357) if you have any questions regarding this announcement.