Security Corner Blog

As the new school year kicks off, scammers are ready to prey on busy parents, students, and educators. From fake emails to impersonation texts, the back-to-school season is prime time for phishing attempts and social engineering scams. These attacks can cost you more than just money—they can compromise your identity, your child’s information, and your peace of mind.

Here’s what to watch for—and how to stay safe.

Why Back-to-School Is Prime Time for Scammers

Scammers know that families are overwhelmed with school forms, schedules, fees, and tech purchases. They exploit this busy time by sending fake communications that look like they’re from schools, districts, or even teachers. It only takes one click on the wrong link or one mistaken response to hand over personal or financial information.

Phishing Scams Disguised as School Messages

Phishing emails and texts are designed to trick you into clicking a link, downloading malware, or giving up sensitive data. They often mimic real messages you’d expect during this season—making them easy to fall for.

Common Phishing Tricks Include:

• “Urgent: Final Tuition Payment Due”
• “Your Class Schedule Has Changed—Log in Now”
• “Parent Portal Access Needed—Click to Update Info”
• “Download Your Child’s Class Supply List”

These messages may contain real school logos or email addresses that appear legitimate at a glance—but hovering over the link often reveals a suspicious URL, and the message may include misspellings or grammatical errors.

Red Flags to Look For:

• Unexpected requests for personal or payment information
• Poor grammar or odd formatting
• Links that don’t match the sender’s supposed organization
• Attachments you weren’t expecting

Impersonation Scams: Not Everyone Is Who They Seem

Impersonation scams go beyond email. Fraudsters pose as school administrators, teachers, tech staff—or even students—to trick you or your child into giving away information or money.

Real-Life Back-to-School Examples:

• A parent receives a text that says: “This is the school nurse’s office. We’re updating emergency contact records—please reply with your child’s name, your date of birth, and a current address to confirm.”
• A student gets a message through a class group chat saying: “Hey, it’s Coach. Team dues are due today. Venmo me $45 or you’ll miss tryouts.”
• A teacher receives an email from the “school principal” requesting that they purchase gift cards for a student supply drive—and promises reimbursement later.
• A college student gets a message that appears to be from their school’s IT department asking them to “verify your student login to keep access to your schedule.” The link leads to a fake login page.

These scams create urgency and appear to come from trusted sources—making it easy to get caught off guard.

Smart Steps to Stay Protected

1. Be Skeptical of Urgency
Scammers love to pressure you. Take a moment to verify before acting on unexpected requests—especially those involving money or information.

2. Use Verified Contact Methods
If something feels off, contact the school, teacher, or person directly using a phone number or email you know is real—don’t reply or click “confirm.”

3. Educate Your Student
Teens and college students are frequent targets. Teach them to double-check links, avoid sharing login details, and flag anything suspicious with you or a trusted adult.

4. Don’t Click—Check First
Hover over links to see the real destination. If it doesn’t match the organization it claims to be from, don’t click.

5. Secure Your Devices
Make sure all family members use strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and secure Wi-Fi connections—especially when logging into school portals or banking apps.

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