MCC Daily Tribune

Beware of Recent E-Mail Scams

MCC students continue to fall victim to scams based on elaborate, fraudulent e-mails requesting personal information. 

Last year we saw e-mails that provided detailed instructions on "becoming a Secret Shopper." The scam sounded like a legitimate job offer and seemed to provide students the opportunity to make hundreds of dollars per week by becoming a shopper.  

Recently, students have been receiving job offers for various positions at MCC that do not exist as well as requests to enroll in federal pandemic relief through an emergency fund that is counterfeit. Some of them even appeared to come from MCC-based e-mail addresses. All of them ask the receiver to click on a link and then submit personal data or get even further involved by depositing a check into their account (that will later prove to be fraudulent) or purchasing gift cards. 

Never click on a link in an e-mail, purchase any gift cards, deposit any checks, or submit any data to any unknown sources.  Always verify whom the e-mail is coming from and the legitimacy of its request before responding. Once you submit personal data to one of these phishing schemes, your personal information is subject to being stolen and used. 

If you have fallen victim to any of these scams, or have questions regarding any suspicious messages, please contact MCC Public Safety immediately at (585) 292-2911.

Kevin Hall
Public Safety
02/01/2021