Postsecondary community increasingly targeted by phishing, cyberscams: Study

A study out of Penn State University recently found that the postsecondary community is a popular target for email-based scams. The study found that universities are often the target of phishing and cyberscams because they have “massive, open directories of emails” and are home to “traditional-aged college students” who may lack the experience to spot scams. University Business notes that the number of online scams directed at the postsecondary students increased significantly between 2014 and 2022. The study found that while the nature of these scams has evolved over time–from email account scams to personal request scams, and now more commonly employment opportunity scams–their potential to cause financial harm and reveal personally identifiable information remains significant.