Chapter Leaders

We are reaching out to bring your attention to a series of phishing and scam emails that have recently targeted several of our chapters.

These fraudulent emails often appear to come from a chapter president or leader but are sent from a suspicious or unfamiliar email address. A common tactic involves a message stating that a specific team member is "not conversant" with digital payment platforms (such as PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or Apple Pay) and asking for your assistance in processing a payment to an "approved vendor". The scam typically promises a prompt reimbursement once the treasurer is available. 

How to Protect Your Chapter:

• Verify the Sender: Always double-check the sender's actual email address, even if the name looks familiar. 

• Direct Verification: Never send funds or process any payments based solely on an email request. Before taking any action, contact the chapter leader directly via their trusted email address or via phone to verify that they made a request.

• Restrict Access: Review the permissions on your chapter's shared documents and contact lists to ensure sensitive information is restricted to authorized viewers only.

CSTA HQ is aware of these incidents. Our staff  also receives versions of these emails periodically throughout the year. Unfortunately we are not able to truly stop them but we can do our best to make you aware of them and educate you on what they look like. 

If you or your members receive a suspicious message, please do not respond or click any links. We recommend forwarding the email to volunteers@csteachers.org so our team can stay informed and answer any questions you may have about the validity of the email. 

Thank you.