Back to School Email Account Deactivation Scam

This is a version of School Email Account Deactivation Scam.

Baruch College Email Account Deactivation Scam

Students at Baruch College receive an email supposedly from their IT department, warning that their school email account needs to be updated to avoid being shut down. The email includes a link to what looks like a login form but is actually a fake page designed to steal their school login and password. The email uses an urgent tone and claims deactivation is coming soon to scare students into acting quickly.

Baruch College Email Account Deactivation Scam | Primary Image

What’s different in this version

These traits set this message apart from the usual pattern.

  1. Uses real college name for credibility (Baruch College)

  2. Warns that the email account will be deactivated soon to create urgency

  3. Uses an outside website (Wixsite) that is not connected to the school

  4. The fake login page asks for your name, phone number, email, and password

How this scam works

  1. 1

    Step 1: You receive an email that appears to be from your school’s IT or email team, often saying your account is about to be deactivated.

  2. 2

    Step 2: The message urges you to click or copy-paste a web link to 'keep your account active.'

  3. 3

    Step 3: The link leads to a fake site that asks you to enter your email, password, and sometimes your phone number or name.

  4. 4

    Step 4: If you fill out the form, scammers collect your information and may use it to break into your account or target others.

✓ Do this

  • Always check the sender’s actual email address and watch for strange links.
  • Go directly to your school’s official website if you are ever asked to log in or update information.
  • Contact your school’s IT help desk if you’re unsure about a message.
  • Report suspicious emails to your school’s security office.

✗ Avoid this

  • Don’t click on links or download attachments from emails that create a sense of urgency or threat.
  • Don’t enter your password or personal details on websites you reached by clicking a link in a suspicious email.
  • Don’t reply to suspicious emails or messages, even if they use your school’s name or logo.

Verbatim excerpts from the scam

Exact lines from emails or messages—searchable text so you can compare wording.

  1. 1 Excerpt 1
    "Dear student, Your Baruch College Email Account information needs to be updated in the database system to avoid deactivation. Copy+Paste URL below into your web browser to re-verify your account ~ hijax76043.wixsite.com/email-account-update"