Cybercriminals commonly target K-12 schools. To trick staff, students, and even parents into disclosing sensitive information, malicious attackers deploy phishing attacks. Training individuals on how to spot phishing emails is a key guardrail and can prevent significant financial, operational, and regulatory repercussions.
Read on as we unpack seven common phishing email examples and the steps your school can take to mitigate these attacks.
What are phishing emails?
Phishing emails are fraudulent communications that malicious actors use to deceive recipients into performing security-compromising actions. Typically, attackers send messages disguised as legitimate correspondence to induce recipients to reveal confidential information or access malicious content. These messages generally pose a sense of urgency and are becoming increasingly sophisticated and realistic.
In K-12 educational settings, phishing emails may pose distinct risks. This is due to the sensitive nature of student and staff information, combined with varied cybersecurity capabilities. When successful, phishing attacks can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data, disruption to operations, and financial repercussions.
K-12 schools’ regulatory demands
Currently, no single federal U.S. law directly targets phishing attacks in K-12 school contexts. Instead, phishing falls under broader data privacy and online safety mandates, like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student records.
If a phishing attack results in authorized access to student information — whether IDs, Social Security Numbers, or financial records — that may constitute a FERPA violation. Other broadly relevant regulations include the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Each piece of legislation requires K-12 schools to be proactive in mitigating phishing attacks. Schools increasingly recognize that phishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated and realistic, meaning their mitigation and response measures must continually evolve to remain effective.
7 common phishing email examples
One way schools can protect themselves from phishing attacks is to understand the common characteristics of phishing attacks. Below, we’ve listed seven examples of common phishing email tactics.
- Fake invoice
Cybercriminals commonly target K-12 administrative teams with fraudulent emails that create a sense of urgency. These attacks aim to exploit the fast-paced nature of school operations and the pressure staff face to process legitimate vendor payments promptly. Malicious actors are becoming increasingly capable of identifying and impersonating the specific vendors that schools likely engage with.
Here’s an example:
Subject: Invoice #78391 — Immediate attention required
Hello,
Our records show Invoice #78391 dated [recent date] in the amount of $1,240.00 is still outstanding. Please review and process payment promptly using the secure link below to avoid late charges:
[View and pay invoice]
Contact us directly if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Accounts Receivable
[Vendor name]
- Payment requests
Cybercriminals target parents with fake fee notifications. These attacks leverage parents’ unfamiliarity with school billing systems and create artificial urgency around deadlines. Attackers often craft these emails understanding the school’s calendar, further enhancing the email’s sense of legitimacy.
Here’s an example:
Subject: Urgent: Outstanding student activity fee
Dear parent/guardian,
Our records show an outstanding activity fee of $150.00 for your student. Please submit payment immediately using the secure link below to avoid late charges and ensure participation:
[Pay fee now]
We appreciate your prompt attention.
Thank you,
School Billing Office
Administration Team
- Parent/student portal credential phishing
Criminals frequently send fake system maintenance notifications, attempting to steal parent and student portal login credentials. These emails claim urgent account updates or verification requirements. Attackers research school district portal systems to create convincing messages that appear to come from legitimate IT support teams.
Here’s an example:
Subject: Action required: Update your parent portal account
Dear parent/guardian,
Due to a recent system update, your Parent Portal account requires immediate verification. Please log in using the link below to confirm your details and avoid account suspension:
[Update parent portal account]
We appreciate your cooperation.
Thank you,
Student Information System
School District Support Team
- Principal gift‑card scams
Attackers impersonate school principals to request urgent gift card purchases. Cybercriminals target these attacks at staff members, aiming to exploit hierarchical relationships. They commonly gain an understanding of the principal’s communication style through online platforms, making their requests appear authentic.
Here’s an example:
Subject: Quick request
Hi [teacher/staff name],
I’m in the middle of a conference and can’t step away. Could you help me quickly purchase five $100 gift cards? They’re appreciation gifts for staff members. Let me know once you have them — I’ll reimburse you by the end of the day.
Thanks for helping on short notice!
[Principal’s name]
Principal
- IT security alerts
Cybercriminals impersonate school IT departments to create false security emergencies that demand immediate credential verification. These emails aim to exploit staff trust in IT authority and concern about account security. Attackers use urgent language and short deadlines to pressure recipients into clicking malicious links without verification.
Here’s an example:
Subject: Urgent: Unauthorized Login Attempt Detected
Dear user,
We detected suspicious login activity on your school account from an unrecognized device. For your account safety, verify your identity immediately using the secure link below:
[Verify your account now]
If verification isn’t completed within 24 hours, your account access will be restricted.
Thank you,
IT Security Team
Technology Support Services
- Fraudulent grade
Cybercriminals commonly falsely notify parents of a change in their child’s grades, leading them to malicious links. These messages claim unexpected grade adjustments require immediate review through online portals. They often reference specific subjects and mimic legitimate departments, including using the real names of teachers or school officials.
Here’s an example:
Subject: Important: Grade change notification
Dear parent/guardian,
Our system recently recorded an unexpected adjustment to your child’s grade in Mathematics. To review this change, please access your online grade portal through the link provided below:
[Review grade change]
Prompt attention helps ensure accurate academic records.
Thank you,
Student Records Office
School Administration Team
- Schedule file‑share links
Criminals send fake schedule updates containing malicious links. These messages claim to share updated staff schedules or important documents that require immediate review. The emails use standard administrative language and reference common workplace processes to appear legitimate.
Here’s an example:
Subject: Updated staff schedule — please review
Hi everyone,
The latest staff schedule has been finalized. Please review it as soon as possible by clicking the secure link below:
[View updated schedule]
Let me know if you notice any discrepancies or conflicts.
Thank you,
Scheduling Coordinator
Administrative Office
How to protect your school from phishing attacks
Schools recognize that they must proactively mitigate phishing attacks. Here are four ways how.
Conduct regular phishing‑awareness training
As a general rule, K-12 schools should conduct cybersecurity training at least annually — many opt for biannually. Training sessions should cover phishing attacks, alongside the broader cyberthreats that K-12 schools experience. This entails educating students and staff on:
- Recognizing phishing indicators in emails.
- Creating and managing strong, unique passwords.
- Enabling and using multi-factor authentication on accounts.
- Reporting suspicious activity through the school’s official process.
- Protecting sensitive student and staff data on all devices.
Enforce multi‑factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication refers to a security method that requires users to verify their identities through two or more independent credentials before accessing an account or system. It’s a simple yet effective step that K-12 schools can take to reduce the risk of unauthorized access — particularly access resulting from compromised credentials during phishing attacks.
Maintain a clear, tested incident response plan
Robust incident response (IR) plans enhance preparedness. This is a formal, multi-functional document that specifies exactly how to handle phishing attacks. In K-12 schools, IR plans define:
- Decision-making authority.
- Detection processes.
- Containment and eradication procedures.
- Escalation channels.
- Post-incident review measures.
ManagedMethods created an IR plan template specifically for K-12 schools. It helps budget-strained educational institutions effectively detect, contain, eradicate, and learn from cyber threats. Plus, it’s easily customizable.
Download ManagedMethods’ free cyber incident response plan here.
Use advanced email filtering and threat detection software
AI-driven threat detection software helps K-12 schools keep ahead of evolving phishing attacks. This technology automatically detects threats, enforces policy-based filtering measures, and alerts key stakeholders.
Before choosing one solution over another, ask:
- What is the total cost of ownership, beyond licensing fees?
- What do other similar educational institutions say about this solution?
- How well does the solution integrate with our existing email platform and security tools?
- Does it fully comply with student-data privacy regulations (e.g., FERPA) and district policies?
- What level of vendor support, training, and ongoing updates is included in the subscription?
Protect your district from phishing attacks with ease
School districts face an increasing number of cyberattacks. However, many K-12 districts lack sufficient funding for cybersecurity infrastructure and staffing, which makes them appealing targets for cybercriminals.
Cloud Monitor by ManagedMethods is a cost-effective, cloud-based solution for mitigating phishing attacks. ManagedMethods built Cloud Monitor for K-12 schools; it continuously observes and analyzes Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 environments for security threats and vulnerabilities — no proxy, no agent, no extension, and no special training required.
“The amount of phishing emails that get through our other filters was a reality check. We simply couldn’t keep up with them in Microsoft, but Cloud Monitor gives us that information and makes it fast and easy to follow up on,” wrote David Termunde, Chief Technology Officer at Arbor Park School District.
Learn more about how Cloud Monitor can enhance your school’s preparedness.
