Dear Peralta Community,

We have been seeing an increasing number of suspicious phishing & spam emails lately, many with attached links. Please adhere to the following guidelines and don’t hesitate to contact us if you are unsure about an email you receive. If you get an email from someone you know but something seems off, if they are asking for your personal information or requesting gift cards, please check the authenticity of their email address!

How to check for the sender’s real address:

Using the mouse, hover over the sender’s email address and wait 1 second. Another window will pop up and reveal the true address of the sender. If it doesn’t end with "@peralta.edu", it is not a Peralta account.

An example of a hover revealing the true email address:

• If the sender’s real email address is different than the displayed address, please delete the email.
• If you notice that an email has a link and requests that you click it, or requests any information, please delete the email.

If your account is compromised, the consequences can be serious:

• Personal information and contact information of students and employees can be exposed as a result.
• Your devices, Peralta devices, and/or the Peralta network could get compromised.
• Your Peralta account will be quarantined, and you will lose access until the account is clear /cleaned

How to keep safe:

• Always check the sender’s email address to ensure it is from someone you know. On most browsers, you can hover over the name and see the actual email address.
• Be cautious of emails from senders you do not know, or if an email looks strange or is not expected.
• Use caution before opening an attachment or URL link within the email. Most compromises occur when clicking on attachments or links in emails.
• If you are not sure if the email is spam, you can forward it to the Peralta helpdesk for support-  helpdesk@peralta.edu.

What to do if you think you have been compromised, accidentally clicked on a link or revealed personal information:

1. First step is to immediately contact Peralta Help Desk: call (510) 587-7800 or email helpdesk@peralta.edu
2. Second step is to immediately change your Peralta account password thru self-service: myapps.microsoft.com

If you need additional support, contact us by calling the Help Desk at (510) 587-7800 or by emailing the Help Desk at helpdesk@peralta.edu.