In 2024, consumers lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud - a 25% increase over the prior year according to the Federal Trade Commission. What is especially concerning is the total number of fraud reports held steady, but the percentage of people who said they lost money jumped from 27% in 2023 to 38% in 2024. That means scammers are not just trying more often, they are succeeding more often. As families settle back into school routines and prepare for new technological gifts this holiday season, this matters. New online accounts, heavier use of devices, and the everyday rush of school-year routines create the perfect environment for cybercriminals to target parents and students alike.
Why Students and Families Are Targets
Cybercriminals exploit schools, targeting new online classroom logins, increased email traffic, public Wi-Fi usage, and distracted parents. Kids and teens often lack the caution adults might show when handling suspicious messages, while parents may rush through digital tasks without a second thought.
Here’s how those gaps often get exploited in real life:
Picture this: A high school student receives a text message that looks like it is from the school district’s IT department. It says her account will be locked unless she clicks a link and “verifies” her login. She clicks, types her password, and suddenly her email is compromised. Later, the same attackers send messages to parents requesting online payments for “class materials.”
It might sound far-fetched, but scams like this occur every school year, one careless click can quickly draw in both students and parents.
Four Key Threats to Watch This Fall
1. Phishing Emails and Texts: Phishing emails and texts may disguise themselves as school schedules, activity sign-ups, or messages from teachers, often containing malicious links. Scammers rely on urgency - “sign up now,” “last chance,” or “account suspended.”
What You Can Do: Teach kids (and remind yourself) to pause before clicking on links in emails or text messages. Hover over links to preview where they lead and never download unexpected attachments.
2. Public Wi-Fi Risks: Free Wi-Fi in cafes and libraries often lack encryption, making it easy for cybercriminals to intercept login credentials and personal information.
What You Can Do: Stick to cellular data for sensitive tasks. At minimum, avoid logging into financial accounts on public Wi-Fi.
3. Device Theft and Loss: Devices like backpacks, phones, and laptops are often misplaced or stolen, providing criminals with access to personal and financial data.
What You Can Do: Enable device tracking features like Find My iPhone or Find My Device so a misplaced phone or laptop can be located quickly. Make sure every device is locked with a strong passcode, fingerprint, or face recognition to keep information safe if it falls into the wrong hands. For younger kids, set parental restrictions to limit access to sensitive apps or accounts. Even placing a tracker like an Apple AirTag or Tile in your child’s backpack or laptop case can help you quickly recover lost items.
4. Social Media Oversharing: Posting school photos with grade levels, names, or school signs can give scammers information to guess security questions or impersonate students.
What You Can Do: Keep your posts general - share the moment, not the personal details that reveal names, grades, or school locations. Encourage teens to set their social media accounts to “private” so only approved friends can see what they post and review those privacy settings together at least once a year. Remind them to think twice before posting anything that could give away too much information, and to only accept friend requests from people they actually know.
Building Strong Habits at Home
- Talk About Cybersecurity: Discuss safe online behavior with kids, just as you would remind them to look both ways before crossing the street. For example: “If you don’t recognize the number, don’t answer” or “If a link looks weird, show it to me before clicking.”
- Use Multifactor Authentication (MFA): Adding MFA to school portals, email accounts, and financial apps makes it much harder for attackers to break in, even if they have stolen a password. It is one of the simplest, most effective defenses available.
- Keep Software Updated: Updates for school-issued Chromebooks or family iPads often patch critical security holes that hackers exploit. Enable automatic updates so you do not have to think about it.
- Back Up Important Work: Important work like homework, projects, and family photos should not be stored on just one device. Use cloud storage or an external hard drive so if a laptop is lost or infected with ransomware, files are not gone forever.
Key Takeaways for Families
- Pause before you click: Teach kids to slow down and double-check.
- Protect devices like valuables: Enable tracking and use strong locks.
- Keep personal details off public posts: Share the moment, not the data.
- Use MFA everywhere possible: It’s quick and effective.
- Stay updated and backed up: Automatic updates and backups reduce long-term risk.
Cybersecurity does not need to be overwhelming. Just as we teach students to study, stay organized, and manage their time, we can also teach them how to protect themselves online. These are life skills every bit as important as math or reading and ones that will carry far beyond the school year.
GreenStone’s Commitment to Your Security
At GreenStone, protecting your financial and personal information is one of our top priorities.
If you ever receive a suspicious message claiming to be from GreenStone—whether by phone, email, or QR code—do not respond. Instead, contact your local branch directly or call us at 800-444-3276. Never use contact information provided in an unsolicited message.
To view the rest of the 2025 fall Partners articles please click here.
