End of the Week
In this Issue:
- Winter weather warning/operating status for Saturday and Sunday
- Heads up re: student job scam
- Message to rising junior families (i.e., P’28s) from Residence Life and Housing
- Why World Cup teams are setting up base camps in unexpected corners of the U.S.
We are waiting to see what tomorrow brings. We are in a winter weather warning, so we want to be sure students are still staying prepared for whatever we might get. For those who want to tune in to local forecasts, here are several that you can choose from: WXII, WGHP, WFMY and Spectrum News 14.
Today was a packed day for me, so we will get right to it.
Winter weather warning/operating status for Saturday and Sunday
We got a Wake Alert message this afternoon about campus operations for the weekend. It reads, in part: “Wake Forest’s Reynolda Campus, including Wake Downtown and other University sites located in Winston-Salem, will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 1, due to a winter weather warning issued by the National Weather Service.
All classes and events are canceled on Wake Forest’s Reynolda Campus, Wake Downtown and other University sites located in Winston-Salem.”
Read the full message. I for one am hoping that we don’t get much of anything.
Heads up re: student job scam
We want to share a recent phishing scheme that has taken place so your Deacs can be aware and on their guard.
Recently, some students fell victim to a job phishing scam. Job scams come in a variety of approaches:
- Some purport to offer students a job, but require cash or a credit card to get started. In one case, a student was sent a check that they were supposed to deposit, keep their “pay” and then return the rest to the employer; when the check hit it bounced, but the student had already sent the rest of the money to the employer.
- Other job scams will say that they found a student applied for a job on Handshake, but the student had not actually applied.
- Another common tactic is to claim to be a WFU professor but the email comes from a gmail address, not an @wfu.edu address.
- The Office of Personal and Career Development (OPCD) has a great website showing students the telltale signs of job scams.
We encourage students to review the IS website dedicated to phishing and be aware of red flags:
- Urgent or Threatening Messages: Scammers often create a sense of urgency, claiming that your account is at risk or that you need to act immediately.
- Suspicious Links or Attachments: Always hover over links to see the actual URL before clicking. If it looks unfamiliar or strange, don’t click.
- Requests for Personal Information: Legitimate organizations rarely ask for passwords or MFA codes via email or text. Be cautious if you receive such requests.
- Unknown Senders: Be wary of messages from unknown sources or unexpected emails, even if they look official.
- Attempts to alarm or induce panic by referencing fake Handshake or other job applications (luring recipients to click on malicious links to investigate).
Ways to Protect Yourself
- Verify the Source: Before clicking any link or sharing information, double-check the sender’s email address. Contact the organization directly using a known, trusted phone number or website.
- Be Skeptical: Question unsolicited requests for personal or financial information, and be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true.
- Don’t Click or Download: Avoid interacting with suspicious messages.
Message to rising junior families (i.e., P’28s) from Residence Life and Housing
This afternoon, Residence Life and Housing sent an email to families of current sophomores (i.e., rising juniors, P’28s) about housing for students who go abroad in the fall 2026 and return in spring 2027. You can read the message here.
Why World Cup teams are setting up base camps in unexpected corners of the U.S.
Wake got a mention in a Yahoo! Sports article about where the various World Cup teams are staying as they prepare for the tournament:
“FIFA assembled a brochure of 64 options that included pro facilities in metro areas as well as off-beat places such as Boise, Idaho; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Spokane, Washington.
Federations also had the option of going off the board, though selections were subject to FIFA approval. FIFA’s list offered ample and disparate candidates, but because priority was given to teams based on rank and proximity to game venues, federations ran the risk of missing out on their top choices.
Such was the case with Germany, which bypassed the FIFA menu and chose to train at Wake Forest University and stay at the nearby Graylyn Estate, a boutique hotel on the National Register of Historic Places.
‘We are creating the best possible conditions for a successful tournament,’ said Andreas Rettig, managing director of sport for the German federation (DFB). ‘The environment is ideal, both in sporting and infrastructural terms.’”
That’s a wrap, Daily Deacdom. May you all stay safe and warm this weekend!