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Back-to-School Phishing: Don’t Let a Familiar Message Fool You

Published: August 14, 2026

Back-to-School Phishing: Don’t Let a Familiar Message Fool You

Back-to-school season brings a steady stream of emails and texts about registration, tuition, financial aid, school supplies, deliveries, and account updates. Because those messages are expected this time of year, scammers may use the same topics to make phishing attempts seem legitimate.

A phishing message may appear to come from a school, university, financial aid provider, retailer, delivery service, or another familiar organization. The goal is often to get you to click a link, open an attachment, make a payment, or provide personal or financial information.

Common Back-to-School Phishing Scams

Be cautious of unexpected messages involving:

  • School or student account alerts. A message may claim your account has been locked, your information needs to be updated, or you must verify your identity immediately.
  • Tuition or payment requests. Scammers may impersonate a school or payment service and direct you to a fake website designed to collect payment information.
  • Financial aid or student loan messages. Watch for unexpected requests to confirm account information, promises of guaranteed aid, or offers of student loan assistance that require you to provide login credentials.
  • Scholarship offers. Be skeptical of messages claiming you have won or been selected for a scholarship—especially if you never applied or are asked to pay a fee to receive it.
  • Shopping and delivery notices. Fake order confirmations, unusually good back-to-school deals, and package alerts may lead to fraudulent websites or requests for payment information.

Warning Signs to Watch For

Phishing messages are not always filled with spelling mistakes or obvious errors. Some can look polished and convincing.

Take a closer look when a message:

  • Pressures you to act immediately
  • Says you could lose access, enrollment, financial aid, or another benefit
  • Asks for a password, verification code, account number, or other sensitive information
  • Includes an unexpected link or attachment
  • Requests payment in an unusual way
  • Does not match how the organization normally communicates with you

Verify Before You Respond

If a message appears to come from a school, financial aid provider, retailer, or another organization you recognize, avoid using the links or phone numbers in the message if anything seems unusual.

Instead, go directly to the organization’s official website or app, sign in through the portal you normally use, or contact the organization using a phone number you already know is legitimate.

USSFCU will never ask for your online banking password, PIN, card security code, or one-time verification code through an unsolicited call, text, or email. If you receive a suspicious message involving your USSFCU account, do not respond or use the contact information provided in the message. Contact USSFCU directly at 800.374.2758.

Start the School Year Safely

Back-to-school season comes with plenty of deadlines, purchases, and messages competing for your attention. That can make an urgent request easier to act on without stopping to verify it first.

Before you click, pay, sign in, or share information, take a moment to confirm the request independently. A few extra seconds can help protect your accounts, personal information, and money throughout the school year.

This article is for educational purposes only.

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