Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,
University Information Services (UIS) has recently identified several phishing attempts (see email attempts at the bottom of this message) sent from compromised Georgetown University email accounts to our internal community. Unfortunately, phishing attempts continue to increase in sophistication, and even emails that appear to be sent from a legitimate Georgetown University email address could be phishing.
If you received the phishing email:
- Do not click on the links in the email and do not reply.
- Click the “Trout” icon in the sidebar of your Gmail inbox (instructions can be found on UIS’s website).
What to do if you clicked on a link:
If you clicked on the link in these phishing emails, please call the UIS Help Desk at 202-687-4949 before 10:00 p.m. EST tonight, November 6. If you are not able to contact us tonight, the Help Desk will reopen early tomorrow, November 7 at 7:00 am EST. Your credentials will need to be reset and your identity visually confirmed.
As a reminder, there are several tips for recognizing a phishing email, which often share the following characteristics:
- Include a sense of urgency or threat to them.
- Come from a sender who is not legitimate or does not match the content of the message (e.g.. someone from UIS sending a message about HR awards).
- Contain hyperlinks that direct users to invalid URLs. You may be able to hover over the URL without clicking in order to see where a link may take you.
- Contain grammar and spelling mistakes.
- Include greetings that are generic, rather than personalized.
If you need any additional assistance, please reach out to help@georgetown.edu. Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
University Information Services
Recent Phishing Attempts:
Dear Faculty & Staff,
The Staff Appreciation and Service Awards list has been updated, and a final review is underway to ensure all honorees are accurately recognized.
Please log in to the Eligibility Portal [phishing link was included] to confirm your information and verify whether you are included among the list of beneficiaries. For proper confirmation, Confirm your eligibility twice. Once complete, you will be able to view your name on the updated recognition list. If your name does not appear, you will be redirected for further review.
Your participation helps ensure that all recognitions are accurate and complete. We sincerely appreciate your cooperation and the valued contributions you make to our university community.
Thank you for your prompt attention as we prepare to honor our dedicated team.
Sincerely,
Andrew Matthew
Awards Coordinator Georgetown University
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*November 6, 2025
Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community,
I invite nominations for the President’s Awards for Distinguished Scholar-Teachers at Georgetown University. Launched in 2013, these awards are among the highest offered by the university. They honor faculty for combined exceptional scholarship and extraordinary teaching.
Nominations are open to full-time faculty who have made significant contributions to both research and teaching at Georgetown. Awardees receive a $10,000 annual grant for three years and will be honored at the Spring Faculty Convocation.
Nominators should provide evidence of both scholarly and teaching excellence. Please visit the Award Website [phishing link was included] for more information and confirm your eligibility.
We are fortunate to benefit from the extraordinary efforts of a world-class faculty. This is an opportunity to document your admiration and appreciation for their remarkable efforts. I hope you will take the time to nominate a deserving faculty member.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Groves
Interim President
*note: a legitimate email with almost identical information preceded this one