Your Transcript Has Arrived! (And So Has the Phishing Link.)
Your Transcript Has Arrived! (And So Has the Phishing Link.)
Every so often, I hear the same story from an admissions team. A familiar logo, an official-looking seal, and a cheerful subject line saying, “Your Transcript Has Arrived!” Everything looks normal, right up until someone hovers their mouse over the big button that says “Click here to download”. That’s when they see it. A link that starts off looking legitimate and then veers into the digital equivalent of a dark alley. It’s a reminder that what feels routine in admissions isn’t always safe anymore.
Hover, Click, Hope
Here’s a small truth with big implications. Not everyone on the receiving end of a transcript email knows that hovering over a link can reveal where it’s actually going. And even for those who do know many just look for a familiar vendor name somewhere in the address, rather than confirming it’s truly the vendor’s domain. Attackers count on that!
All it takes is a believable name and a plausible URL to slip past the human radar. The result? An admissions office clicking into a page that looks like a secure transcript download, but instead:
delivers malware or ransomware,
harvests staff login credentials, or
installs tracking code to access future institutional communications.
A forged transcript getting a learner admitted is a real problem. Full stop. However, it’s often the least of an institution’s worries in these instances. More frequently, the malicious link used to deliver that transcript is an entry point for far greater harm. Malware or ransomware that cripples systems, phishing pages that harvest staff credentials, or backdoors that enable attackers to roam and exfiltrate sensitive data. Those outcomes can lead to operational disruption, regulatory exposure, financial loss, and long-term reputational damage. All far more expensive and time consuming to remediate than re-evaluating a single application.
The Real Issue Isn’t Technology — It’s Trust
The conversation about fraudulent transcripts usually drifts toward technologies such as encryption, digital signatures, blockchain. Those tools matter, but the bigger challenge is procedural. Most admissions and records teams are stretched thin, working quickly, and trained to process efficiently, not to investigate digital authenticity. Technology can help, but it can’t replace awareness. That’s where the real opportunity lies. Building intake processes that balance convenience with caution and empower staff to verify before they trust.
How Tasty Sunsets Can Help
At Tasty Sunsets, we don’t sell software. We help institutions make sense of the complex credentialing landscape. From evaluating vendors to preparing intake teams to recognize modern fraud tactics. That includes understanding how to assess platform claims, compare features honestly, and design workflows that protect data without slowing down operations. In short, we help people make smart decisions before they click.
A Final Hover
So the next time that “Your Transcript Has Arrived!” email lands in your inbox, take a moment. Hover before you click. Look past the logo. And if that link doesn’t lead exactly where you think it should… maybe don’t follow it. In the age of digital credentials, trust isn’t built by convenience. It’s built by curiosity, consistency, and a willingness to question what looks “official.”
