Two screen shots of texts received by Johnston school district parents this morning received by WHO Radio.
UPDATE: The Johnston Police Department today was conducting security sweeps of every school in the district...and that prompted school officials to delay the opening of class two hours.
At yesterday's news conference, Johnston Police Chief Dennis McDaniel said the threats that some parents and students received Monday night were "not credible". He hinted that a data breach may have allowed scammers to send the bogus text messages.
The Johnston Police Department is also advising individuals to ensure the protection of their identity and personal information by enacting the following security measures:
- Change passwords frequently while ensuring they are strong and secure; utilize different passwords for different accounts.
- Only give your social security number (SSN) when it is necessary and keep your SSN card in a secure location – do not carry it in your wallet.
- Keep items with personal information in a safe place and either shred or tear them up when you do not need.
- Order a copy of your credit report from each credit-reporting agency.
- Before revealing personal financial information, find out whom you are dealing with, how the information will be used, and if it will be shared with others.
- Verify your credit card and credit union statements each month for unauthorized charges or suspicious activity.
- Photocopy financial and insurance cards you carry in your wallet (front and back) and keep original copies in a safe place - in the event your wallet is lost or stolen.
To secure your identity, you can request a copy of a credit report from the following credit bureaus.
- Experian – www.experian.com (888-397-3742)
- Equifax – www.equifax.com (800-685-1111)
· TransUnion – www.transunion.com (800-916-8800)
There are also additional fee-based subscription services to consider should an individual be at a heightened risk of cyber intrusion.
Other Iowa Schools get threats
There are reports that some students and parents at Davenport North High School received similar threats to the ones received in Johnston. The Sioux City Police Deparment says this morning they also were notified of similar messages. A Facebook post in Sioux City said the texts displayed the same phone number that was used in Johnston.
Neither school district cancelled classes. Both police departments said they were investigating the threats. In Omaha, Nebraska, the police department there said similar texts were received, but that department called it a "hoax".