This targeted phishing scam impersonates AU faculty, professors, or administrators to create false student research assistant opportunities.
Tips if Something Seems Off:
Double-check the email address before responding.
Look to make sure the email address is correct. In your email, hover your mouse over the sender name for the email to display. On a mobile phone or a touchscreen, press and hold the link (don't tap!) to reveal the actual URL. (Look in the bottom left corner of the browser window.) Don't click on a link unless it goes to a URL you trust.
In this email, the original sender's email is a random email you are most likely not familiar with or have no knowledge of. Another hint that this email is not legitimate is the email recommended to send your information to. While Professor Brian Connelly supplies an email for communication, the email is of a Gmail account instead of the affiliated educational department or institution.
If you didn’t expect it, reject it. Users are encouraged to report the message as phishing in Outlook. For instructions on how to report a message as phishing, visit our Knowledge Base article at aub.ie/reportphishing.
Original Message
Alternative, Similar Message (Circulating in 2026)
Warning
The links and email addresses included in these messages are from real-life examples, do not attempt to explore them.
The most dangerous links have been removed - you can hover your cursor over these links to see the original address in a pop-up techtip (instead of in the corner of the browser window).