Students and professors have expressed annoyance with hacking, phishing and other online media violations.
Some members of the campus community are unable to access their emails, while others are dealing with identity fraud in the form of fake profiles created on Facebook and Tinder.
Email phishing
Julianne Thomison, mass communications freshman, experienced email phishing two weeks ago.
She was among many who received an email that said it was from the admissions office, telling her that her email would be shut down due to “negligence of emails regarding mailbox upgrade.” She clicked on the link, which sent her to a page that asked her to verify her account with her personal information and password.
Just moments after Thomison learned that her email was compromised, Systems Administrator Thomas Shaak sent out an email warning students about a recent phishing scam.
“I felt really helpless.” Thomison said. “There was nothing I could do at the time. I felt invaded and frustrated.”
She posted on an OCU student Facebook page that she was hacked and found that this happened to several people.
Her files were recovered. But, even weeks after the incident, Thomison still is unable to send, forward or reply to emails.
“Don’t fall for it,” Thomison said. “I learned the hard way.”
If students feel like their email was affected, they can contact the technology help desk at 405-208-5555.
Fake social profiles
Kate Brennan, assistant professor of voice and acting, was the victim of a false Facebook profile.
This is not a new problem, but rarely does it happen to university faculty.
The perpetrator created a profile under Brennan’s name and began adding her friends. When Brennan awoke one morning, she found that many of her friends were concerned that she had been hacked.
The person had acquired a few dozens of Brennan’s friends and had messaged several people.
It was clear to Brennan’s friends that the profile wasn’t her because of the syntax the writer used, Brennan said.
One professor told Brennan the culprit asked for money through the fake Facebook page to fund a university program for seniors.
When Brennan heard about the fake profile, she reported it, and it was taken down.
Her social media platforms have since been corrected.
Waste of time
Brennan was upset that the issue was cutting into her time as much as it was, she said.
“I was really angry and annoyed because it’s just so pointless,” Brennan said. “It’s such a waste of everyone’s time. There’s so much we have to do here. We’re always so busy.”
Brennan said she never found out who assumed her identity, but she would be interested in finding out, especially before the same thing happens to someone else.
Brennan said she would like to know the person’s motivations, although she has a hunch he or she wanted money.
“If they knew anything about the theater, they would know that we don’t have any money,” Brennan said.
There have been other instances recently of fake profiles of students and faculty. Even fake Tinder profiles have been created for people.
Students can help protect their accounts by choosing unique passwords and changing them regularly, according to an article by Jeffrey C. O’Brien, social media lawyer. If someone’s account is hacked, they should attempt to log in, change their password and notify their online followers of the security breach, O’Brien said.
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