200 robot vacuum cleaners? Fake TU Delft orders intercepted

Three fake domain names are known to the Safety & Security and ICT departments. At the beginning of January, an email ordering 200 robot vacuum cleaners was sent from an address that resembles the usual tudelft.nl address. Shared Service Center Finance Creditors team leader Rianna Kaasschieter explained that the supplier was suspicious. “He wondered what TU Delft wanted with the order so he phoned us.”

The Finance Department passed the case onto the Safety & Security and ICT departments. They had received a similar report in December, and just in this two month period, there had even been another case. “The care taken by the suppliers and the fast response of the Finance, ICT and Safety & Security departments meant that the fake domain names could be intercepted quickly and we could call in the police,” reports Safety & Security Project Leader Sanneke Reehoorn. She is confident that no other fake orders have slipped through.

As the police investigation is still underway, Reehoorn does not want to go into detail about the other fake orders. She also does not want to name the fake email addresses used for the same reason. “The relevant combinations have already been blocked by the provider. We recommend reporting any domain names that are not exactly tudelft.nl to us.” She requests TU Delft staff, and suppliers and clients of TU Delft especially, to be alert for anything out of the ordinary. “Anyone who now receives an email or telephone while they would normally get an order form should take heed.”

• Please email abuse@tudelft.nl if you need to report a suspicious domain name.