Cybersecurity experts caution families amid growing back-to-school scams

As schools reopen, cybersecurity experts are warning parents and teachers to be vigilant against a rising tide of back-to-school scams.

According to a warning issued by cybersecurity firm NordVPN, cybercriminals are increasingly impersonating schools and even students to exploit the busy and often anxious back-to-school season.

The scams are becoming more sophisticated, moving beyond traditional deceptive emails about uniforms and tech deals. Fraudsters are now sending messages that appear to be from a child’s school, informing parents of a sudden change to the school’s start date or providing malicious links disguised as new timetables.

The urgency created by these messages often prompts parents to click without a second thought, potentially exposing their financial and personal data through a form of fraud known as “smishing,” or SMS phishing.

Marijus Briedis, Chief Technology Officer at NordVPN, highlighted another growing threat: scams impersonating the parents’ own children. These messages, often starting with “hi mum, it’s me, my phone’s broken, can you text me on my new number?”, prey on parental concern and can quickly escalate into requests for money or sensitive family information.

The education sector as a whole is becoming a prime target for cyberattacks. NordVPN’s business arm, NordStellar, found that higher education institutions account for nearly three-quarters (73%) of all cyberattacks in the education sector.

This is likely due to the larger number of financially active students. The increasing frequency of these attacks was demonstrated in a recent phishing scam on Edinburgh’s education department, which forced a citywide password reset and disrupted students during exam season.

NordVPN advises parents and teachers to double-check the authenticity of any unexpected messages from schools or their children, especially if they create a sense of urgency. The best practice is to verify any changes directly with the school through a known, trusted contact number rather than clicking on links in unverified messages.

Five tips for parents to avoid a back-to-school scam

1. Don’t click links in emails or texts about schedule changes or requests for fees — head to your school’s official site or contact them by phone.

2. Be wary of “I’ve changed my number” texts or pleas for help. Ring your child directly on their known number before replying.

3. Always check the content of messages for poor spelling, odd grammar, or urgent pressure, which should all be red flags.

4. Forward suspicious texts to 7726 (free) and suspicious emails to [email protected] or report via gov.uk.

5. Generally, do some housekeeping on your devices. Make sure they are updated frequently, use strong, unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication and also educate children to avoid clicking on unsolicited links.

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