Reporting a Spam or Phishing Email

This article explains what spam and phishing are, and provides instructions on how to report suspicious emails to the GBIT Service Desk by forwarding them as attachments to abuse@uwgb.edu.

KB Sections:
What is Spam?
What is Phishing?
Reporting Spam or Phishing Emails

What is Spam?

Definition of Spam

Spam is unsolicited junk email sent indiscriminately in bulk, often for commercial purposes. Much of it is sent by botnets, networks of virus-infected computers, complicating the process of tracking down the spammers.

Examples of Spam

Spam can include advertisements for products, get-rich-quick schemes, and other unwanted solicitations.

What is Phishing?

Definition of Phishing

Phishing is the practice of defrauding users into giving up their usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal information. Phishing emails often try to get you to click on links that take you to fake websites.

Common Phishing Tactics

Phishing emails often pretend to be from organizations such as a bank, PayPal, Amazon, or even GBIT. They might include alarming messages about account security or ask for urgent action to avoid penalties.

NOTE: GBIT will never ask you for personal information by email. Never respond to emails asking you to provide personal information.

Reporting Spam or Phishing Emails

How to Report

To report a spam or phishing email, forward the email to abuse@uwgb.edu as an attachment. Sending the message as an attached file is crucial so necessary Internet headers are included.

Steps to Forward an Email as an Attachment

1. Open the email you want to report.
2. Click on the "Forward as Attachment" option in your email client.
3. Address the email to abuse@uwgb.edu.
4. Send the email from the inbox of the original recipient.

Why Forwarding as an Attachment is Important

Forwarding the email as an attachment preserves the email’s headers, which include important information needed to trace the origin of the spam or phishing attempt.