Ofsted has warned the schools community to be vigilant over phishing emails purporting to be from the organisation.
The watchdog issued guidance today after it had been notified some people had received spam emails which appeared to have been sent from an ofsted.gov.uk email account.
The warning from Ofsted, issued on their official website, states: “We will never ask for any fees to be paid to us through PayPal. If you receive a suspicious email like this one, please delete it immediately and take no further action.”
Schools Week has previously reported how schools were scammed out of thousands of pounds after their phone systems were hacked and calls diverted to pricey premium-rate numbers.
Last year, we also revealed how a prankster called Uncle Rafool called more than 150 schools across the country impersonating an Ofsted inspector – telling staff they had lost their jobs before uploading the recording onto YouTube. Heads who fell prey to the prank called it distressing and time-wasting.
Hang on, though. Isn’t Ofsted £30 million in the red? Maybe this is the new boss getting creative about accountancy, taking a leaf out of MATs’ books.