April 10, 2026

Payroll Letter #26-004: Payroll Deduction – Cancellation 

Action Required: Share the following information with all human resources (HR) office employees. 

Description: Payroll Letter #26-004: Payroll Deduction – Cancellation is available on the State Controller’s Office website. 

Population Affected: ​All HR Offices​ 

Contacts: A list of contacts is provided in the letter for further assistance. 

MUST READ: Important Information Regarding Cal Employee Connect (CEC) Phishing Emails

Action Required: Share the following information with all departmental human resources (HR) departments and state employees.

Description: On Friday, April 10th, the California State Controller's Office (SCO) was made aware of phishing emails attempting to convince state employees to update or provide their personal information through a fake Cal Employee Connect (CEC) website. These emails are fake. The SCO will never ask for sensitive information via email. If you get any of these phishing emails, please immediately report them to your agency or department Information Security Office.

Population Affected: State Employees

Tips on how to protect yourself from phishing and online scams

These types of scams are being conducted by bad, third-party actors. For purposes of this phishing incident, scammers may pose as SCO employees, HR department representatives, or a representative for another department to deceive state employees into sharing personal information. Please encourage employees to be cautious and verify requests for sensitive information:

  • Ignore suspicious texts, links, and attachments.
  • Verify SCO or department contact directly with the agency.
  • Share information carefully—never on public networks or social media.
  • Do not reply to or click links in suspicious messages.
  • If you are unsure, contact SCO directly to verify the request, your HR and Information Security Offices.

What do phishing scams look like this season (how can you spot them)?

Scammers impersonate various state departments to steal personal information via text, call, fake website, fraudulent letter, or email.

  • Official agencies will never threaten nor demand immediate payment by phone.
  • SCO staff do not send text messages or emails requesting for personal or financial information or account numbers.

For suspicious letters, visit the CEC page for more information.