Many UC employees have fallen victim to phishing emails in recent months, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to UCPath accounts and paycheck information. During some of these incidents, employees’ direct deposit information was changed, redirecting paychecks to bank accounts controlled by the attackers. In all instances, staff ultimately received their pay.

These attacks are successful because they are typically very sophisticated, using language and imagery that resemble the sites you use regularly. It’s important to remain alert for potential phishing scams and adhere to the following best practices:

  • Do not click links or download attachments from emails unless you are sure they are legitimate. For example, if you get an unexpected email from your bank asking you to download something, call your bank to confirm if it's real.
  • Never fill out unsolicited forms that request personal or financial information.
  • Do not accept unsolicited Duo push notifications or provide Duo tokens to third-parties.
  • If you receive an email regarding an account, be sure to review the email address that the message comes from and check the URL of the site you are being directed to. If the email or URL seems suspicious or atypical, contact the sender using known contact information to determine if any action is needed (e.g., for UCPath, use the “Ask UCPath Center” form or call 855-982-7284).
  • Report any suspicious messages using the ‘Report Phishing’ option in Gmail.
  • If you opened an attachment or shared your credentials from a phishing message, submit an incident report to Information Technology Services.
  • Add a personal email to your UCPath account. This will make it easier for UCPath to reach you if there is unusual activity in your account.
  • Don’t use the passwords you use for UCSB accounts outside of work (e.g., for personal email or other non-UCSB websites).
  • Periodically verify your direct deposit information.
  • Activate Experian identity theft monitoring.

For additional questions or concerns regarding the security of your UCSB accounts, review ITS’ tips for identifying phishing scams. You can also email questions and concerns to security@ucsb.edu.