Taiwan University President Impersonated in Phishing Scam

National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) President Kao Woei-yann has become the target of a phishing scam, with fraudsters impersonating him in emails to solicit personal information. The incident came to light when NTHU Professor Huang Chen-hsiang shared a suspicious email he received.

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This email's sender was a strange Gmail account, and the LINE ID inside was also the scammer's contact method for victims to add.

The email, purportedly from President Kao, urged the recipient to address an "important matter" due to "time constraints" and to "quickly add LINE" for further communication. Professor Huang immediately recognized the message as a scam, noting the sender's unfamiliar Gmail address and the use of LINE as a contact method, which are common tactics employed by fraudulent operations.

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I am surprised that after I posted, some users on Threads accused me of 'leaking the president's personal information.'

Huang expressed surprise at the situation, particularly after some users on the social media platform Threads accused him of "leaking the president's personal information" for sharing the scam email. He clarified that the email was clearly a phishing attempt and that he had not fallen for it. He also cautioned others against getting "too invested" in the scam's narrative.

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This email makes people suspicious by using elements like 'president,' 'important matter,' 'time is urgent,' and 'please add LINE quickly' to create a sense of authority and urgency, reducing the recipient's vigilance.

Huang pointed out that the scam relies on creating a sense of authority and urgency by using the president's title, mentioning "important matters," and emphasizing "time pressure." He believes that by publicizing the scammers' contact details, he is actually helping to prevent others from becoming victims. Huang remarked that the online world can sometimes be more surreal than the scams themselves, especially when fake accounts are readily accepted as authentic.

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It is unbelievable that simply putting 'Kao Woei-yann, President of National Tsing Hua University' at the end of an email instantly completes identity verification for the Gmail and LINE accounts.