Phishing Awareness Initiative

Dear CAPS family,

Since the start of the new school year, we have seen an increase in staff clicking on spam emails.

As a result, we have decided to implement a fishing awareness campaign, which will begin soon.

Here’s how it will work:

  • You may randomly receive a fake email as part of the campaign.
  • If you click on the fake email, you will be automatically enrolled in a short training course–to help you identify–and avoid phishing scams in the future.

Please remain extra cautious when reviewing your emails. These incidents are causing significant issues, and many of these phishing attempts are now reaching a large portion of our domain.

Below is a checklist for you to review if you have any questions about an email:

School Email Spam Checklist

Always think before you click! Use this checklist to stay safe when reading school emails.

  1. Check the Sender
    • Is the email really from your superintendent, principal, or co-worker who has never corresponded with you before?
    • Look at the full email address, not the display name and make sure they correspond exactly.
  2. Subject Line
    • Does it sound urgent, or out of the ordinary for official correspondence?
  3. Greeting
    • Real CAPS correspondence will address you by your name.
    • Be suspicious if it says anything generic: e.g., “Dear employee”, “Dear user” – or nothing at all.
  4. Spelling and Grammar
    • Most spam emails have misspelled words, odd wording, or strange formatting.
  5. Links
    • Always hover over any links before clicking on them.
    • If the link doesn’t go to your school’s correct domain (e.g., it says collegeachieve.org – but really goes to abc-school-login.fake.com), don’t click.
  6. Attachments
    • Don’t open unexpected attachments, especially ZIP or EXE files, Office documents, or anything asking you to “enable macros.”
  7. Requests for Personal Information
    • No teacher, principal, or IT staff employee will ever ask for your password or private information by email.
  8. Inspect the Logos and Overall Design
    • Fake emails often have sketchy logos – that are skewed, or are the wrong size or place.
  9. Trust your Gut
    • If something feels off, stop. Report it immediately to your supervisor or the school office.