December 2004

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Michigan News

Several U-M students recently reported money missing from their bank accounts as a result of an email scam, according to the U-M Department of Public Safety. The students all responded to a fraudulent email requesting account information for their TCF Bank accounts. One student was missing $500; another lost more than $2,000 in unauthorized ATM withdrawals. While the bank is investigating the fraudulent emails, DPS officers are warning students not to respond to such messages and to contact their banks in person if they are unsure whether such messages are legitimate.

In the Know

College students aren’t the only ones susceptible to the email scams reported above, also known as “phishing.” Phishing scams are becoming more and more common, and anyone with an email address and a bank account can be a target. The Anti-Phishing Work Group offers some online tips on how to protect yourself:

• Be suspicious of any emails urgently requesting your financial information.
• Don’t use links in an email to get to any Web page for banking or financial institutions. Instead, type in the Web address directly in your browser or call the company directly.
• Make sure you’re using a secure Web site when submitting financial information over the Web. Secure sites begin with “https://” rather than just “http://” .
• Regularly check your bank account to make sure all transactions are legitimate.
• Ensure that your browser is up-to-date and that all security patches are installed.

The scenario is common: You log onto a Web site for a newspaper such as The New York Times or The Washington Post, and you’re told you can’t read the articles you want to view until you register your email address with the organization. “It’s free and fast!” they boast, but you’re irritated at having to give up your time and email address once again. That’s why the creators of BugMeNot.com came up with a solution. Their Web site offers a way to bypass compulsory Web registration by offering usernames and passwords for a huge host of free sites that require registration. You just enter the URL of the site you need, and BugMeNot.com spits out a username and password. There has been some controversy over whether BugMeNot’s services are ethical—see the debate at Poynter.org.

Association News

The Alumni Association has partnered with the publisher of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books to create a Michigan-specific volume, and we’re looking for stories from alumni. Did a University professor change your outlook on life? Did you make the friend of a lifetime in the dorms? Was your life changed by a U-M alum? We are currently accepting heart-warming, engaging, unusual or funny stories about your Michigan experience—whether as a student or an alumnus/a. Selected stories will appear in “Chicken Soup for the University of Michigan Soul,” scheduled for publication in August 2005. Full submission details are available online.

Career

Whether it’s your first holiday season in the working world or your fourth, office gift-giving etiquette can be confusing. That’s why etiquette consulting firm Mannersmith has created some guidelines to get you through the gift-giving season without any major gaffes:

• Check your employee handbook on office gift-giving guidelines.
• Not all clients are necessarily created equal. Consider sending cards to all your clients and gifts to VIP clients.
• Business-appropriate gifts include writing paper, silver picture frames, business card cases.
• Be aware of cultural or religious taboos before selecting a gift.
• Keep in mind that that some companies restrict their employees from accepting a gift over a certain amount.