On the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 19, a malicious email was sent to several Cal Poly Humboldt inboxes. (See attachment)

The message claimed that “Mrs. Tammy Brown” or “Madam Tammy Brown” was giving away valuable items following the death of her husband.  The individuals behind this scam have been requesting payments through Chime or Apple Pay. Once the messages were determined to be malicious, they were removed from Cal Poly Humboldt mailboxes. 

If you received this message, please do not interact with the individuals behind it, respond to the message, or provide personal, financial, or account information.

If you made a payment or transferred money as a result of this message, please contact your bank or financial institution immediately to report the transaction and ask what steps may be available to protect or recover your funds. 

Please email the Cal Poly Humboldt Information Security team at security@humboldt.edu if you:

• Communicated with the individuals behind the message.

• Provided account credentials, personal information, or financial information.

• Sent money or made a payment through Chime, Apple Pay, or another payment method.

• Took any other action requested by the individuals behind the message and are unsure whether additional steps are needed.

If you did not respond to the scammer, no further action is required. Learn more about how to spot and what to do about them.

Thank you for helping us keep the Cal Poly Humboldt community secure.