The Retriever's Guide to Cybersecurity: Seven Scams to Avoid

Retrievers, listen up — here are seven cyber scams you do not want to fall for this academic year.

1. Random Duo Push Notifications
   
   If you didn’t just try to log in, do not hit accept. Approving a mystery push is essentially holding the door wide open for an attacker to walk right into your UMBC account.
   🔗 Read more on Stop! A DUO Push you didn’t initiate.
   
   

2. Free Gift Cards, Pianos, and Gear
   
   If an email promises a free grand piano, high-end electronics, or asks you to "send shipping cash first," delete it. Also, remember: your professors, advisors, and campus leaders will never ask you to buy gift cards for them.
   🔗 Check out the update on “Free” High-Value Items & Faculty Impersonation Scams.
   
   

3. Too-Good-To-Be-True Job Offers
   
   "Work two hours a week, earn $600"? If it sounds that easy, it’s a trap. Stick to legitimate campus and off-campus listings posted directly on Handshake.
   🔗 Learn how to identify fake listings in the Fraudulent Jobs & Employment Scams warning.

4. Suspicious Phishing Forms
   
   UMBC will never ask for your password, Duo bypass codes, Social Security number, or birthdate through Google Forms, Monday.com, or Microsoft Forms. Spot a sketchy form? Report it faster than a Retriever sprinting to class after hitting snooze.
   🔗 See tips onDon't Take the Bait! How to Spot a Phishing Scam.
   
   

5. "Copy and Paste This Command" Tricks
   
   If a pop-up or website error instructs you to copy a block of code into your Run menu, PowerShell, or Terminal to "fix" an issue, stop! This is a social-engineering trick designed to hand full control of your laptop over to hackers.
   🔗 Learn how to identify this threat in Beware of the “ClickFix” Scam.
   
   

6. "Your UMBC Account is Expiring Today!"
   
   Urgent warnings claiming your account is about to be deleted or deactivated are classic panic bait. Take a breath — your account isn't going anywhere, and you shouldn't click the link.
   🔗 Review indicators of urgent panic-bait emails on There are no issues with your student ID.
   
   

7. Sponsored Search Ads & "Malvertising"
   
   When searching for software, tools, or AI skills, be wary of top results marked "Ad" or "Sponsored." Cybercriminals often buy these positions to host convincing fake sites that deliver malware. Always inspect the exact URL before clicking. Remember, hackers frequently hide malicious downloads within user-controlled sections of otherwise legitimate websites.

Keep your guard up, stay alert online, and protect the pack.

Report anything suspicious to security@umbc.edu!