Phishing: Messages crafted to look like they come from a legitimate organization asking for personal information such as usernames, passwords, and Social Security Numbers. 

• Never provide passwords or other highly sensitive information.
• If you didn't initiate contact, don't provide personal information such as usernames or student ID numbers.
• If you believe you may have been phished
  • change your UCR Password and Google Password at http://password.ucr.edu right away
  • change your PermPIN on Growl
  • change your password for any other account that is using the same password
  • check your account settings for any account that uses the same username and password

Information obtained through phishing can be used for anything from hacking into the victim's email account to sending spam, to identity theft.  For more information about phishing please view the official Phishing Announcement from Computing and Communications.

How to Spot Phishing