Phishing Alert: Fake Research and Internship Opportunities
Students have recently reported receiving fraudulent emails offering research roles, internships, or short‑term employment.
Some messages impersonate Wake Forest faculty or staff, and others request that students make purchases or payments on behalf of the sender.
These scams often look legitimate at first glance, including the use of wfu.edu display names. As we move deeper into the semester and students seek academic and professional opportunities, please take extra care when reviewing unsolicited messages.
What to watch for
- Requests to purchase items, subscriptions, or gift cards
- Messages asking you to send money or reimburse costs
- Unusual tasks that fall outside typical student research or internship responsibilities
- Emails that pressure you to act quickly
- Messages that appear to come from WFU but use a non‑WFU reply‑to address
How to protect yourself
- Check the full email address of the sender
- Do not provide personal information in response to unsolicited messages
- Do not send money or make purchases for anyone contacting you by email
- Use Gmail in a browser or the Gmail app to see warning banners
- Avoid clicking links or opening attachments in suspicious messages
- When in doubt, do not engage—forward the message to infosec@wfu.edu
Stay informed
Information Security maintains a page of common phishing scams, including past alerts and examples. Students, faculty, and staff can subscribe for updates and review current scam activity.If you have questions or need assistance, contact the Information Security team at infosec@wfu.edu.