The FBI is warning of a new internet scam that attempts to dupe UO employees into giving up login passwords to the human resources website with the aim of stealing payroll deposits.

UO employees have received fraudulent emails claiming their status with university’s human resources department has changed. The emails contain a link and ask employees to use it to log into the HR website to identify the change.

But the message is simply a ruse to steal login passwords, which the scammers can then use to access payroll settings to redirect the victim’s paychecks to an account from which they can be stolen. The website set up by the thieves reportedly is very similar to the legitimate site.

If successful, employees can lose their paychecks and the money often can’t be recovered. The scammers also may be able to use the login information to get into other accounts belonging to the victim.

To avoid the scam, people should look for poor English, such as incorrect grammar, capitalization and punctuation, in emails as many scammers are not native English speakers. Another tip is to roll the cursor over a link to see if it is consistent with what it claims to be.

For the FBI’s warning on the scam, see “University Employee Payroll Scam.” A warning also is posted on the UO Police Department website.