Email threats are the #1 security risk for childcare organizations. Protect sensitive family and financial information by recognizing and avoiding email scams.
Common Email Threats in Childcare:
Fake Invoice Scams
Fraudulent invoices requesting payment to fake vendors
Identity Theft
Attempts to steal parent or employee personal information
Child Information Requests
Fake requests for child records or enrollment data
Payment Fraud
Fake payment confirmations or fee collection attempts
Red Flags to Watch For:
- Urgent payment requests - "Pay immediately or lose service"
- Suspicious sender addresses - lullaboo-billing@gmail.com
- Generic greetings - "Dear Customer" instead of your name
- Requests for sensitive data - SSNs, banking info, passwords
- Unexpected attachments - Especially .exe, .zip files
- Poor grammar/spelling - Professional companies proofread
- Mismatched URLs - Hover to see real destination
- Pressure tactics - "Act now or account will be closed"
Email Security Best Practices:
- Verify before you trust - Call the sender directly
- Never click suspicious links - Type URLs manually
- Don't download unexpected attachments
- Use strong, unique passwords for email accounts
- Enable two-factor authentication on email
- Keep software updated - Email clients and browsers
- Report suspicious emails to IT immediately
- When in doubt, don't click - Ask for help
Example: Fake Childcare Invoice Scam
From: billing@lullaboo-services.net
Subject: URGENT: Outstanding Invoice #12345 - Payment Required
Message: Dear Lullaboo Staff,
Your account shows an outstanding balance of $2,847.50 for cleaning services.
Please click here to pay immediately or services will be suspended tomorrow.
⚠️ RED FLAGS: Fake domain, urgent language, unexpected invoice
Dealing with Spam and Unwanted Emails:
Don't Reply to Spam
Replying confirms your email is active and leads to more spam
Use Spam Filters
Enable and configure email spam filters properly
Don't Display Images
Images in spam can track when you open emails
Delete Suspicious Emails
Don't keep suspicious emails "just in case"