Scams take many forms, including SMS (text), as well as emails and telephone calls. We have had reports of fake texts from President Joan Gabel with the scammer’s goal being to get the recipient to engage. Once engaged, the scammer may request that the recipient purchase and share gift cards or other digital valuables.

Indicators of Phishing:

• Suspicious and unexpected.
• Spelling and grammar errors in the message.
• Urgency: “it is needed to be treated with urgency.”

What to do if you receive one of these:

• Do not reply or call the phone number.
• Use your phone’s text options to report the text as spam and block the phone number.
• You may forward the notice to [email protected]; however there is nothing we can do about fake texts other than publish them here.

Example:

SMS Text from an unrecognized number.

Body of message: 

Hello,

This is President Joan T. A. Gabel, the president of the University of Minnesota . I am sending this messages with my private number and it is needed to be treated with urgency. Kindly leave a message once you see this message. 

Thanks