Ed-Tech Policy News in Brief

Phishing Scammers Targeting Schools

By Michele Molnar — February 14, 2017 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Internal Revenue Service is warning school business officials to beware of a phishing scam targeting schools’ payroll or human-resource departments in an attempt to have them release employees’ confidential information, according to the Association of School Business Officials International.

The association alerted members to the scam in a notice on its website. John Musso, ASBO’s executive director, said that he could not identify districts that have been targeted, but noted that it must be “more than a handful” to come to the attention of the IRS and for the federal agency to contact his group.

The IRS reports the scam relies on a phishing email “that uses a corporate officer’s name to request employees’ Forms W-2 from company payroll or human-resources departments,” according to ASBO.

A version of this article appeared in the February 15, 2017 edition of Education Week as Phishing Scammers Targeting Schools

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Ed-Tech Policy Opinion If You're Going to Ban Cellphones, Do It Right
An educator offers school and district leaders a cooperative, restorative approach to restricting cellphone use in schools.
Nicholas Bradford
5 min read
School cellphone ban policies to restrict cell phones in schools to reduce distractions and help avoid social media addiction resulting in academic problems and mental health issues in a classrooom.
Wildpixel/iStock
Ed-Tech Policy More States Are Moving to Ban Cellphones at School. Should They?
While cellphone bans are popular with many educators, some researchers say there's not much evidence yet that these policies work.
A student uses their cell phone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy on Aug. 16, 2024, in San Mateo, Calif.
A student uses a cellphone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy in San Mateo, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2024.
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Ed-Tech Policy What Schools Look Like Without the Cellphone Distraction
Student behavior has improved and disciplinary referrals have gone down, administrators say.
7 min read
School kids placing putting phones away during class
Dobrila Vignjevic/E+
Ed-Tech Policy FCC’s ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules Struck Down. Could This Mean Slower Internet for Schools?
Many schools fear that without the policy protection internet service providers could slow down the flow of content to schools.
Meg James, Los Angeles Times
5 min read
A home router and internet switch are displayed on June 19, 2018, in East Derry, N.H. Telecommunications industry groups on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, ended their bid to block California's net neutrality law that prevents broadband providers from throttling service. In a federal court filing in Sacramento, the groups and California Attorney General Rob Bonta jointly agreed to dismiss the case.
A home router and internet switch are displayed on June 19, 2018, in East Derry, N.H.
Charles Krupa/AP