Eau Claire Area
School District
Phishing & Scam Safety
How to recognize real school communication and stay safe online
Families receive a lot of emails, texts, and messages from school. Unfortunately, scammers know this—and may pretend to be schools, teachers, or District staff to try to steal personal information.
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The ECASD will never ask you for financial information like credit card or banking numbers, login passwords or private personal information via email or text. If you have any questions about the validity of the message, call the school secretary or District Office.
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Phishing is a message that looks real (from a school, bank, or company), but is actually designed to:
- Steal passwords or personal information
- Trick you into clicking harmful links
- Send money or sensitive data [ftc.gov]
These messages often look very convincing and may include real logos or names.
Why parents are often targeted
Scammers specifically target families because:
- Back-to-school season involves lots of emails and forms
- Parents expect messages about schedules, fees, or updates
- It only takes one click to expose personal information [ussfcu.org]
🔍 How to tell if an email or text is real
✅ Always check these 5 things:
1. The sender
- Does the email come from a trusted district address (like
@ecasd.us)? - Watch for small misspellings or unusual domains
2. Urgency or pressure
- Messages like “Act now!” or “Immediate response required” are a common scam tactic [support.mi...rosoft.com]
3. Links and buttons
- Hover over links before clicking / tap and hold on links on mobile to see a preview of the page
- If it doesn’t match the official site, don’t click!
4. Requests for personal information
- The ECASD will not ask for passwords, Social Security numbers, or financial info via email [consumer.ftc.gov]
5. Unexpected attachments
- Be cautious with files you weren’t expecting
🧠 Simple rule: Stop • Think • Verify
If something feels off:
- Stop – Don’t click or reply
- Think – Does this message make sense?
- Verify – Contact the school directly using a known phone number or website
📩 What to do if you receive a suspicious message
✅ DO:
- Delete the message
- Report it (see links below)
- Contact the school if it seems important
❌ DON’T:
- Click links
- Open attachments
- Reply or provide information
✅ How ECASD communicates safely
Families should expect official communication through:
- District email addresses (ending in
@ecasd.us) - Official ECASD website and portals
- Approved communication tools (e.g., ParentSquare, Skyward, Canvas, Seesaw, etc.)
We will never ask you to provide personal information such as Social Security numbers, birthdates, health information, or financial details like credit card or bank account numbers.
👉 When in doubt, go directly to the source instead of clicking links or call the school to make sure the message is valid.
🚨 If you already clicked something
Act quickly:
- Change your password immediately
- Contact your email provider
- Notify the school district
- Report it to the FBI:
👉 Internet Crime Complaint Center [ic3.gov]
🔗 Official Email Provider Safety Resources
Gmail / Google
- 👉 Avoid & report phishing emails (Google Help) [support.google.com]
- Built-in “Report phishing” option in Gmail menu
Key tip: Google will never ask for your password via email [support.google.com]
Microsoft Outlook / Office 365
- 👉 Protect yourself from phishing [support.mi...rosoft.com]
- Use the “Report Phishing” button in Outlook
Key tip: Watch for urgent messages or unknown senders marked “External” [support.mi...rosoft.com]
Apple Mail / iCloud
- Report phishing by forwarding the email to: reportphishing@apple.com [keepnetlabs.com]
Yahoo Mail (general guidance)
- Mark suspicious emails as spam/phishing [help.yahoo.com]
- Use built-in reporting tools