Congratulations to all Vassar students, faculty, administrators, and staff on the end of another academic year.  We especially want to congratulate the class of 2019.   And to any student returning in the fall, have a wonderful summer break.

We have two particularly busy times of year for malicious emails.  Right now is one of them, right after the academic year comes to a close.  In May and June, be wary of any email that contains a too-goo-to-be-true employment offer.  Unsolicited email from a potential employer is always a reason to be cautious, and these emails are most likely fraudulent.  See some recent examples here:

http://pages.vassar.edu/catchoftheday/2018/04/22/425/
http://pages.vassar.edu/catchoftheday/2019/02/26/a-message-refinery29-job-offer/

We have also received reports of fraudulent phone calls related to employment offers or reference checks.  Specifically, a user reported that a company called asking for a reference check on a student, but the caller asked for a large amount of personal information.  If any employee of Vassar College receives a request for a reference of any kind, be sure to validate the request with the individual it is pertaining to.  Similarly, if you are a student who gives references to a company, be sure to tell your references about your job application so the references go smoothly.

The next time of the year to watch for suspicious email is in the fall.  As you take a break from Vassar, stay diligent in reviewing emails and report anything suspicious to catchoftheday@vassar.edu

Thank you to all the people in the community who continue to report suspicious email (and phone) activity.  Your timely notifications help keep us all safe and secure.