Pitt Information Technology is aware of another variation of the job opportunity phishing scams targeting the University of Pittsburgh community. The latest version of the scam appears to originate from a pitt.edu address and advertises a fictitious job as a study assistant with the Department of Psychology. The message may use a variety of subjects and asks recipients to reply with their name, email address, and other details to begin the application process. Below is a sample of the scam:

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Subject: PITT Hiring

Are you searching for a job with flexible hours as a graduate or undergraduate student so you can balance working around your classes?

The Psychology Department at the University of Pittsburgh is seeking volunteers to serve as weekly paid study assistants who will work remotely.

You are free to set your own hours and work from home whenever it suits you. Students from any educational district/department are eligible for the position.

For the position description and other requirements, text Professor [name redacted] at [number redacted] with your full name, email address, department, and year of study. This will begin the application process.

With regards.

[name and signature redacted]

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If you received this message (or any message similar to it), please report it as a phishing scam by forwarding the email message as an attachment to phish@pitt.edu. Detailed instructions on reporting scams are available at http://technology.pitt.edu/phishingscams.

Pitt IT strongly recommends that you 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.

In addition, Pitt IT recommends that all students, faculty, and staff install Antivirus and Anti-Malware (Malwarebytes) Protection. Departments can submit a help request to obtain Malwarebytes for multiple machines.

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