Once again, fraudsters are targeting university members and sending emails from fake senders. Do not reply to these emails, do not click on any links they contain and report any suspicious emails.
Unexpected mail
If you receive an unexpected letter from our Rector, you should be particularly vigilant. Fraudsters have once again used publicly available information to misuse the addresses and names of members of the university for fake emails. The harmless-looking messages are circulating in various languages and initially ask for a brief favour.
If you don't notice the suspicious sender address (in this case @gmail.com), you will be asked to purchase gift cards under a pretext. The criminals are after the codes, which can be turned into money on the black market.
Similar emails using the war in Ukraine as an excuse or pretending to be hospitalised due to a coronavirus case are also circulating.
You can find an example in English in our warning from last year: Phishing wave with subject "Available"
What should I look out for?
Be vigilant when reading your emails. You should be particularly suspicious if you notice any of the following:
- The sender is not using the usual sender address or
- the address doesn't match the sender,
- the grammar or spelling is unusually poor,
- they are trying to pressurise you (exceptionally urgent or important),
- they include an unexpected attachment or a link to an unknown domain.
A request to buy voucher cards (such as Google Play / Apple / Steam / Playstation, Paysafecard, Enteropay, ...) is always highly suspicious. Password-protected attachments are often used to bypass virus scanners. Do not deactivate Protected View for Office documents.
If you are unsure about a message, ask and play it safe!
- Call the supposed sender or write directly to a known email address.
- You can also contact the IT Service Desk (see below).
I would like to report an incident
Have you already replied to such an email, clicked on a link or attachment or forwarded information? If so, please contact us immediately at informationssicherheit [at] tu-freiberg [dot] de or call the IT Service Desk on -1818.
If you would like to report a suspicious email, please forward it to us "as an attachment" (instructions).
You are also welcome to contact us at any time with your questions.
Questions answered / Contact: Dr Felix Eckhofer, Information Security Officer, informationssicherheit [at] tu-freiberg [dot] de