Phishing Scam Email- August 2025

TSD Families:

Phishing Scam Email- August 2025

Government agencies across Ohio (and the nation) have been experiencing an increase in cybersecurity-related issues, in particular, phishing email scams. 

What is a phishing scam?

Phishing scams are a type of online fraud where criminals attempt to trick individuals into revealing sensitive personal or financial information, or into installing malicious software (malware), according to the FBI. They typically do this by posing as a legitimate and trustworthy entity, such as a bank, government agency, or well-known company, while sending fraudulent messages that appear to be from that entity. 

Last evening, Talawanda School District employees and students were the target of such a scam.   The TSD team is working with SWOCA to address this issue.  Remember, the goal of the scammer is to collect personally identifiable information such as name, work/school email, personal email, address, etc.  If you have any concerns or are just unsure, please ask before clicking on any links that seem suspicious.  We know some staff and students opened the email, but fortunately TSD student information has not been accessed by outside users!  In order to increase security, a two-factor login procedure will be instituted today.  Students will NOT be required to have a second device for authentication purposes.  

This is a good time to remind everyone that there are nefarious people out in the world utilizing technology to deceive their innocent victims and obtain their personal information.  Please be diligent in paying close attention to emails and text messages you receive, and make sure they are coming from a legitimate source before giving out private information.  Unfortunately many of these scams are very clever and it can be difficult at times to know the difference between a good email/text and a bad one. We know that scams like this are occurring every day in our society, and should you have any specific questions or concerns we encourage you to contact the TSD Communications Office.

In Education,

Dr. Edward Theroux