Gibbon Nation,
We want to make you aware of reports of a phone scam that has recently impacted several Nebraska school districts. While this type of scam has surfaced periodically in previous years, recent reports serve as a reminder that schools should remain vigilant and consider creating communications to inform families.
In these incidents, a parent receives a call from an unknown number. The caller falsely claims to be a school employee, often identifying themselves as a counselor or other staff member, and says that the parent's child is in trouble or involved in an emergency situation. The caller then attempts to direct the parent to meet at a location to pick up their child and may instruct them not to disconnect the call or discuss it with anyone else.
These calls are fraudulent and should not be trusted.
Gibbon Public Schools wishes to remind families of the following:
If a parent receives a call claiming their child is in trouble, they should hang up and contact the school directly using the school's published phone number.
School staff will not ask parents to meet at secret, undisclosed, or off-campus locations to pick up a student.
School personnel will not instruct parents to keep a situation confidential or prevent them from contacting others.
Parents should be cautious of calls from unknown numbers that create a sense of urgency or pressure immediate action.
While this scam is not new, reports indicate it continues to reappear from time to time in different communities. Awareness is one of the best tools for preventing these scams from succeeding.
If families receive a suspicious call, we encourage you to contact local law enforcement and notify school officials so patterns can be identified and shared with the appropriate authorities.
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