Recently, we’ve seen an uptick in email scams telling community members that they have overdue or unpaid invoices. In many cases, the senders of these emails impersonate real companies and people that you know and trust, including members of your department or senior staff. This is a tactic that scammers use to get you to trust the information in the email. The email phishers hope that by both using familiar names and creating a sense of urgency – like using words like “Urgent!” or “Act now!” or threatening to turn off key services – that people will act without doing any further investigation and questioning.
If you receive any emails about unpaid invoices, particularly if it’s not something you were expecting, it’s good to do a little extra research:
- If the email mentions someone from the Bryn Mawr community, reach out to that person directly and ask about the email.
- Contact any vendors mentioned via trusted means, like the customer service number on their official website.
- Do not follow any links or call any phone numbers that are listed in these unexpected emails.
If you believe you may have received one of these emails and provided any information or payment to the phisher, please get in touch with the Help Desk as soon as possible. The Help Desk is also happy to talk with you about any questions you may have about suspicious emails. We can be found on the