URGENT: There is a phishing scam circulating designed to steal paychecks!

!!! CLERKS !!! Read this !!!

Montana schools are actively being targeted by a sophisticated electronic phishing attack that looks like an employee is requesting a direct deposit change - BEWARE OF THIS ATTACK!

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
There is an active phishing (email) attack circulating Montana schools right now. The attack is designed to trick you into changing an employee's direct deposit information. The phishing email looks as if it has been sent by an employee and is very convincing. If you get an email from a district employee asking to make a direct deposit change, you are likely the target of this attack!

The email looks as though it comes directly from one of your employees and it doesn't look like a fake! Here's a sample email of just ONE of the MANY emails that K12 Montana has seen in real clerk mailboxes across the state over the past several weeks:

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Hello <<your first name>>,

I have recently changed banks, can you update my payroll direct deposit information? Previous account on record will be inactive before my next payment day.

Regards,

Mary Smith (this will be a REAL employee name!)

WHAT TO DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR DISTRICT

1. When in doubt about anything, pause and take no action. If something doesn't feel right in your gut, it is ok to just step away from your desk for a second to give yourself time to think.
2. Ask someone else to look at the email (someone from the office or your tech coordinator) and see if they think the email is potentially fraudulent.
3. Anytime you get an email asking for an unusual financial transfer or change, call the person making the request and verify that the request is real. It is important that YOU CALL THEM to verify the request, and to call a known, good number that you TRUST (not a number that you were given to call back). If they call you, it could be someone pretending to be them!
4. Consider working with your admin team to make a procedural change that requires all direct deposit changes to be done with verification (such as in person, with a paper form, or with a voice call follow-up). Let your staff know about the change and explain why this change is necessary.
5. Train your administration, your staff, and your board on security awareness!