Text Gift Card Scam

From: Professor at UVA  <[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 11:27 AM
To: "Typical User (mst3k)" <[email protected]>
Subject: Quick Request
 
Send me your available text number that I can reach you on—
[The Professor’s signature]

The recipient (Typical User) replied:

to this email with their mobile phone number.
(NOTE:  Typical user's reply went to [email protected] – NOT to the actual professor’s @virginia.edu )  

The scammer then sent them this text:

Note that the “Typical User” (in green) asks if the person text them (who is allegedly the professor that “Typical User” knows) has gotten a new phone number because they don’t recognize it.

At this point, Typical User was suspicious and contacted the professor they knew at the phone number they had for them and found it they had not emailed or texted them. 

This was an attempt at a gift card scam!