Scammers Target High School Students With Phishing Emails Offering Fake Part-Time Jobs

phishing emails targeting high school students, Digi Mart USA News (Connecticut): Phishing emails are becoming more sophisticated and are now aimed at a new group of potential victims: young students looking for part-time jobs. New research and a Connecticut school district are raising awareness of these targeted messages, which contain encrypted links.

On Monday night, the Simsbury Public Schools District sent a message to families alerting them about a phishing email sent to some students that advertised “fake part-time work opportunities.” The district’s warning highlights how the scams are reaching students directly.

Dr. Fredrick Scholl, a professor of cybersecurity at Quinnipiac University, said attackers and hackers have started using artificial intelligence tools over the last few months.

He said these tools allow criminals to send far more messages than before.

KnowBe4, a cybersecurity platform used by more than 70,000 organizations worldwide, recently reported that phishing attacks have increased 29.8% this year, and targeted phishing scams have risen 41.1%. According to the report, cybercriminals research their targets and create fake but trustworthy-looking messages.

Scholl said AI tools have helped scammers obtain the information they need more quickly. “They can look through Facebook records, Instagram records, and very quickly they can digest all this information and come up with more targeted attacks,” he explained.

He added that the ultimate goal for scammers is usually money. With fake job applications, scammers look for personally identifiable information.

“People are sending out fake job opportunities, and people apply for those. Then, that ends up putting malware on their computer,” Scholl said.

He warned that if a student’s computer is infected, a hacker could gain access to the whole school, deploy ransomware and collect money that way.

The way to spot a phishing scam has not changed, according to state leaders. They advise never giving out personal information through email and not clicking on any links embedded in messages.

If you or your child has been targeted, the best step is to alert your school district and check the resources listed on the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General’s website.