Scams: Villanova Service Desk Impersonation Scams

Impersonation scams are a challenge that all universities face, and unfortunately, Villanova is no exception. By pretending to be someone from University Technology Services, cyber criminals hope to manipulate your trust and cause you to act without thinking. 

Common Villanova Service Desk Scams

These impersonation scams can take a variety of forms and come from any communication channel, including emails, calls, texts, and Teams messages. Examples of common scams include:

• Your account is at risk of suspension if you do not reply or log in immediately
• Your password is expiring and must be reset at a link other than account.villanova.edu
• A virus or other problem has been detected on your computer and IT needs remote access to the device to fix it
• To resolve an issue, you need approve a multi-factor authentication (MFA) prompt for a log in you did not initiate

How to Avoid Service Desk Impersonation Scams

Be skeptical of unsolicited outreach claiming to be from Technology Services or the Service Desk if you did not submit a ticket. If you receive an unexpected request for information or device access, stop and verify it by contacting us directly at 610‑519‑7777 or support@villanova.edu.

• As of Spring 2025, faculty, staff, students, and alumni are no longer prompted to change their Villanova password on an annual basis, so long as the existing password meets our current requirements. The only exception is when your password must be reset for security reasons. Learn more about Password Help.
   
• The Service Desk only asks for certain personal information on a phone call to verify your identity when helping with requests related to passwords and MFA. We will never request your name, date or birth, social security number, or Wildcard number via email or Teams message. 
   
• The Service Desk will never ask you for your current account password or to approve MFA prompts for a log in you did not initiate yourself. 
   
• If someone claims to be from the Service Desk, ask them for the ticket number associated with the support request you submitted. You can find this information in the Support Portal (support.villanova.edu) by logging in, choosing Services from the top navigation, then Ticket Requests.

What to Do if You've Been Scammed

• Stop all communication with the cyber criminal immediately.
• Take steps to report and block unwanted calls or text messages, report suspicious emails as phishing, or report a message in Teams.
• Report the scam to Technology Services by submitting the Security Concern Request Form.
• Change associated account passwords and monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity.
• Request an anti-virus scan on your devices.