Three Seconds to Avoid Being Scammed*

When you recieve an email, review the sender details as shown below:

  1. Click the down arrow.
  2. Review the actual From Email Address in <gray>.
  3. Review the 鈥渟颈驳苍别诲-产测:鈥� and verify the domain it was sent from is what you鈥檇 expect. It should match the portion of the email address that follows the 鈥�@鈥� in the From Email Address shown in <gray>.

*This example shows the trick in Gmail. Most mail apps have the same option, it just may look a little different.


Scam Example

verify From Email address (300 脳 175 px) (300 脳 90 px) (600 脳 180 px) - 1
  • The image above shows Sender Name and From Email Address in an actual scam email seen at BC.
  • The Sender Name, 鈥淚T HelpDesk help@bc.edu,鈥� looks like it is from a BC sender. But it is not!
  • The Sender Name is very easy to fake and can include any email address or text the sender wants.
  • The From Email Address is clearly not an @bc.edu address: 鈥渁ccounts@selahdesignstudio.com"
  • The From Email Address is difficult to falsify.
  • Emails claiming to be from a 鈥淏C鈥� person or department without an 鈥�@bc.edu鈥� in the actual From Email Address field, should be viewed with extreme skepticism.
  • This subtle distinction is critical to avoid being scammed.

What if you think you've received a scam email?

  • If you aren鈥檛 sure an email is authentic, instead of replying, contact the sender using information you already have (such as their BC email address from the BC Directory).
  • Do not reply to the email, or text/call any phone numbers included in the email.
  • Do not click on any links in the message.
  • In the Gmail web interface, click the three dots in the upper right corner and select, 鈥淩eport phishing鈥� or 鈥淩eport spam.鈥� This will train Google鈥檚 artificial intelligence to move these messages to your Spam folder.
  • If you suspect a message is phishing or fell for a scam, forward it to phishing@bc.edu and contact security@bc.edu.
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