Keep Personal Information Private
The departments of Academic Computing Technology and Campus Safety would like to remind the Fullerton College community not to release personal data, in person or online.
Their warnings come in response to recent email phishing scams and reports of petitioners requesting personal data from students in the Quad.
“Never feel compelled to give away sensitive personal information,” said Director of Campus Safety Steve Selby. “Identity theft is a huge problem, and it would be in everyone’s best interest to keep personal information, such as Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and passwords, private.”
Campus Safety officers have fielded complaints that petitioners are requesting Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers, while collecting signatures in the Quad. Selby advises people not to respond to these requests.
“There is absolutely no legitimate reason why a petitioner needs your Social Security number,” he added. “If you want to register to vote confidentially, go to ocvote.com/registration.”
There have also been numerous malicious phishing emails sent recently to fullcoll.edu email addresses. As a rule of thumb, Fullerton College staff will never ask individuals for their passwords. Should you receive an email that asks for your password, please call the ACT Help Desk before responding. The Help Desk’s phone number is (714) 992-7111.
If you have responded to a phishing email and revealed your password, please change your password immediately by signing in to myFC.fullcoll.edu, clicking on Account Profile, and using the Change Password utility.
According to the Federal Trade Commission website, “protecting your personal information can help reduce your risk of identity theft. There are four main ways to do it: know who you share information with; store and dispose of your personal information securely, especially your Social Security number; ask questions before deciding to share your personal information; and maintain appropriate security on your computers and other electronic devices.”
Learn more by visiting the FTC website.
