How do I know If an email is legitimate, and not phishing?

If you are at all uncertain whether an email is legitimate, go through the following checklist:

  • Do you recognize the email address it was sent from?
  • If it claims to be ACU business, does the email address it was sent from follow a format you recognize and does it say @acu.edu or @groupmail.acu.edu?
    • ACU format: firstname.lastname@acu.edu
    • ACU format: abc12d@acu.edu
    • ACU format: [lastname][firstinittial] (without the brackets)
  • Is it an email you are expecting? Or the type of email you might expect to receive?
    • Your bank emailing you would be normal.
    • Your bank asking for your login information or any secure information is not normal and probably a scam.
    • A bank that is not yours asking you to log in or to call a number for important information concerning your account is not normal and probably a scam.
  • If it asks you to click on a link, first just hover over the link with your mouse. Your web browser will display the web address that the link points to (usually at the bottom of the screen). This will allow you to see if it is an address you recognize or trust before clicking on it.

Report an email to Google as "Phishing"

If the email fits into 1 or more of those listed above then you will need to report the email as phishing to Google. You can do this by following these steps:

  1. Go into the email
  2. Click the More menu next to the reply button (the three dot stack)  
  3. Click the "Report as phishing attempt" button

If you have provided your password in response to an email that you determine is not legitimate, you should immediately change your password to something it has never been before. Make sure it is different enough that it would not be guessed by someone who has one of your previous passwords. You can change your password by going to acu.edu/password. If you need assistance, call us at 325-674-5555 or 325-674-4357.

What to Expect From ACU IT

You can expect the following behavior when interacting with ACU IT. If the person you interact with does not comply with these items, you should be suspicious and cease communication:

  • ACU IT will NEVER ask for your password.
  • ACU IT will NEVER ask for your multifactor verification code.
  • ACU IT will NEVER reset a password or provide account information via text, chat, or email.
  • ACU IT will NEVER reset a password without verifying your identity.
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