diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 9c7b60ac4..6c2a2224f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ jobs:
             tests/test_readme_refresh_helpers.bats \
             tests/test_readme_refresh_push.bats \
             tests/test_validate_personas.bats \
+            tests/verify_persona_teams.bats \
             tests/test_dev_lead_concurrency_guard.bats \
             tests/test_validate_workflow_schedules.bats \
             tests/caller_stub_freeze.bats \
@@ -309,6 +310,32 @@ jobs:
           PERSONA_SCHEMA_REF: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
         run: python3 personas/validate-personas.py personas
 
+  verify-persona-teams:
+    # LIVE persona addressing-team check (#1280). The hermetic validate-personas.py
+    # (and its hermetic bats suite) verifies the handle SHAPE — the team slug ==
+    # id — but deliberately cannot reach the network. This separate job is the
+    # network-touching half: for every personas/<id>/persona.yml that declares an
+    # `address` block, it verifies the LIVE team named by address.handle EXISTS, is
+    # `privacy: closed` (secret teams are unmentionable), and is
+    # `notification_setting: notifications_disabled` (the handle routes a webhook,
+    # it must not page the team's members). Reading org teams needs an ORG-scoped
+    # token (GH_PAT_WORKFLOWS) — github.token cannot read teams. It FAILS CLOSED: an
+    # API error is never read as "the team is fine" (#755). Personas with no
+    # `address` block pass. It must not be folded back into validate-personas.py,
+    # whose hermeticity is the whole reason this was split out.
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@df4cb1c069e1874edd31b4311f1884172cec0e10  # v6.0.3
+
+      - name: Install PyYAML
+        run: pip3 install --quiet pyyaml
+
+      - name: Verify live persona addressing teams
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_PAT_WORKFLOWS }}
+        run: bash scripts/verify-persona-teams.sh personas
+
   gh-aw-compile:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 5
diff --git a/scripts/verify-persona-teams.sh b/scripts/verify-persona-teams.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..813a95455
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/verify-persona-teams.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+# verify-persona-teams.sh — LIVE persona addressing-team check (#1280).
+#
+# The persona standard (§4.1) requires a persona's `address.handle` to name an org
+# TEAM with specific LIVE properties. The hermetic personas/validate-personas.py
+# checks the handle SHAPE (team slug == id) but deliberately cannot reach the
+# network. This script is the separate, network-touching half: for every
+# personas/<id>/persona.yml that declares an `address` block, it verifies the live
+# team named by `address.handle`:
+#
+#   1. the team EXISTS,
+#   2. privacy == "closed"                         (secret teams are unmentionable),
+#   3. notification_setting == "notifications_disabled" (routes a webhook, not a page).
+#
+# The slug==id invariant is already enforced hermetically by validate-personas.py
+# and is NOT re-checked here — this check is about LIVE state only. A persona with
+# no `address` block passes (address is optional unless the `mention` surface is on).
+#
+# FAIL CLOSED: any API/parse error is a failure, never a pass. Conflating "could
+# not read the team" with "the team is fine" is the exact systemic bug this check
+# exists to prevent (petry-projects/.github#755, finding 3). If the team cannot be
+# read, the check fails.
+#
+# Requires: gh (authenticated with an ORG-scoped token — github.token cannot read
+# teams; GH_PAT_WORKFLOWS is available in CI), jq, and python3 + PyYAML. Diagnostics
+# use the `::error::persona manifest invalid: ...` style of validate-personas.py.
+#
+# Usage: verify-persona-teams.sh [personas_root]   (default: personas)
+#   VPT_ORG — org whose teams are read (default: petry-projects)
+
+export VPT_ORG="${VPT_ORG:-petry-projects}"
+
+vpt_fail() {
+  echo "::error::persona manifest invalid: $*" >&2
+  return 1
+}
+
+# vpt_list_addresses <root> — print a "<slug>\t<manifest>" line for every
+# personas/<id>/persona.yml under <root> that declares an address.handle. Personas
+# with no `address` block are omitted (they pass). A malformed handle (not an
+# 'org/team-slug' string) is a hard error — printed as a `::error::` diagnostic and
+# a non-zero exit, never a traceback.
+vpt_list_addresses() {
+  local root="$1"
+  python3 - "$root" <<'PY'
+import glob
+import os
+import sys
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:
+    print("::error::persona manifest invalid: PyYAML not installed (pip install pyyaml)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+vpt_org = os.environ.get("VPT_ORG", "petry-projects")
+root = sys.argv[1]
+for manifest in sorted(glob.glob(os.path.join(root, "*", "persona.yml"))):
+    try:
+        with open(manifest, encoding="utf-8") as fh:
+            data = yaml.safe_load(fh)
+    except (OSError, yaml.YAMLError) as exc:
+        print(f"::error::persona manifest invalid: could not read/parse {manifest}: {exc}",
+              file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        continue
+    address = data.get("address")
+    if address is None:
+        continue
+    if not isinstance(address, dict):
+        print(f"::error::persona manifest invalid: {manifest}: address must be a mapping, "
+              f"got {address!r}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    handle = address.get("handle")
+    if not isinstance(handle, str) or "/" not in handle:
+        print(f"::error::persona manifest invalid: {manifest}: address.handle must be an "
+              f"'org/team-slug' string (e.g. 'petry-projects/qa-lead'), got {handle!r}",
+              file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    org, slug = handle.split("/", 1)
+    if org != vpt_org:
+        print(f"::error::persona manifest invalid: {manifest}: address.handle org '{org}' "
+              f"does not match expected org '{vpt_org}' — cross-org handles cannot be verified",
+              file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    print(f"{slug}\t{manifest}")
+PY
+}
+
+# vpt_team_api <slug> — echo the JSON for org team <slug>, or return non-zero on
+# any API error (a nonexistent team returns HTTP 404, which is such an error).
+# Isolated so the hermetic test suite can stub `gh`.
+vpt_team_api() {
+  local slug="$1"
+  gh api "orgs/${VPT_ORG}/teams/${slug}"
+}
+
+# vpt_check_team <manifest> <slug> — fetch and verify the live team. Fails closed:
+# a read/parse error, a secret team, or an enabled notification setting all fail.
+vpt_check_team() {
+  local manifest="$1" slug="$2" json privacy notif
+  if ! json="$(vpt_team_api "$slug")"; then
+    vpt_fail "$manifest: could not read team '${VPT_ORG}/${slug}' from the org teams API — failing closed (an API error is never treated as a valid team). The team may not exist, or the token may not be org-scoped (use GH_PAT_WORKFLOWS)." || return 1
+  fi
+  if ! privacy="$(jq -er '.privacy?' <<< "$json")"; then
+    vpt_fail "$manifest: team '${VPT_ORG}/${slug}' API response has no 'privacy' field (or is not JSON) — failing closed." || return 1
+  fi
+  if ! notif="$(jq -er '.notification_setting?' <<< "$json")"; then
+    vpt_fail "$manifest: team '${VPT_ORG}/${slug}' API response has no 'notification_setting' field (or is not JSON) — failing closed." || return 1
+  fi
+  if [ "$privacy" != "closed" ]; then
+    vpt_fail "$manifest: team '${VPT_ORG}/${slug}' has privacy '${privacy}', expected 'closed' — a secret team is unmentionable, so every mention silently no-ops." || return 1
+  fi
+  if [ "$notif" != "notifications_disabled" ]; then
+    vpt_fail "$manifest: team '${VPT_ORG}/${slug}' has notification_setting '${notif}', expected 'notifications_disabled' — the handle routes a webhook, it must not page the team's members." || return 1
+  fi
+  echo "verify-persona-teams: OK — ${manifest} → ${VPT_ORG}/${slug} (exists, closed, notifications disabled)."
+}
+
+vpt_run() {
+  local root="${1:-personas}"
+  command -v gh  >/dev/null 2>&1 || vpt_fail "gh is required but not installed"
+  command -v jq  >/dev/null 2>&1 || vpt_fail "jq is required but not installed"
+  command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1 || vpt_fail "python3 is required but not installed"
+
+  if [ ! -d "$root" ]; then
+    echo "verify-persona-teams: no personas root at '${root}' — nothing to verify."
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  local lines
+  if ! lines="$(vpt_list_addresses "$root")"; then
+    # vpt_list_addresses already printed a ::error:: diagnostic; fail closed.
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  if [ -z "$lines" ]; then
+    echo "verify-persona-teams: no personas declare an address block — nothing to verify."
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  local count=0 slug manifest
+  while IFS=$'\t' read -r slug manifest; do
+    [ -n "$slug" ] || continue
+    vpt_check_team "$manifest" "$slug" || return 1
+    count=$((count + 1))
+  done <<< "$lines"
+
+  echo "verify-persona-teams: OK — ${count} persona team(s) verified live."
+}
+
+# Only run main when executed directly, so the hermetic tests can source the
+# functions and stub `gh`.
+if [ "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" = "${0}" ]; then
+  vpt_run "$@"
+fi
diff --git a/tests/verify_persona_teams.bats b/tests/verify_persona_teams.bats
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25508d183
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/verify_persona_teams.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bats
+# Hermetic unit + fixture tests for scripts/verify-persona-teams.sh (#1280).
+#
+# verify-persona-teams.sh is the LIVE, network-touching half of persona addressing
+# validation: for every personas/<id>/persona.yml that declares an `address` block,
+# it verifies the team named by address.handle EXISTS, is `privacy: closed` (secret
+# teams are unmentionable), and is `notification_setting: notifications_disabled`
+# (the handle routes a webhook, it must not page members). It FAILS CLOSED — an API
+# error is never read as "the team is fine" (#755).
+#
+# These tests stay hermetic (the sibling of the hermetic validate-personas suite):
+# the network call goes through `gh`, which is stubbed here to return canned team
+# JSON or an error. NO real teams API is ever contacted.
+#
+# Run with: bats tests/verify_persona_teams.bats
+
+setup() {
+  REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$BATS_TEST_FILENAME")/.." && pwd)"
+  SCRIPT="$REPO_ROOT/scripts/verify-persona-teams.sh"
+  TMP="$BATS_TEST_TMPDIR"
+  # shellcheck source=/dev/null
+  source "$SCRIPT"
+
+  # Stub gh so vpt_team_api never touches the network. It emulates
+  # gh api orgs/<org>/teams/<slug>: echo VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON, or fail if
+  # VPT_TEST_GH_FAIL=1 (an API/HTTP error, e.g. 404 for a nonexistent team).
+  gh() {
+    if [ "${VPT_TEST_GH_FAIL:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+      return 1
+    fi
+    printf '%s' "${VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON:-}"
+  }
+  export -f gh
+}
+
+# make_persona <id> [handle] — write a minimal personas/<id>/persona.yml fixture.
+# With a handle, it carries an `address` block; without, it has none.
+make_persona() {
+  local id="$1" handle="${2:-}"
+  mkdir -p "$TMP/personas/$id"
+  {
+    printf 'id: %s\nname: %s\n' "$id" "$id"
+    if [ -n "$handle" ]; then
+      printf 'address:\n  handle: %s\n  aliases: []\n' "$handle"
+    fi
+  } > "$TMP/personas/$id/persona.yml"
+}
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# vpt_check_team — verify one live team (the core assertion, fails closed)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+@test "vpt_check_team passes a closed, notifications-disabled team" {
+  export VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON='{"slug":"qa-lead","privacy":"closed","notification_setting":"notifications_disabled"}'
+  run vpt_check_team "personas/qa-lead/persona.yml" qa-lead
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_check_team fails a secret team (unmentionable)" {
+  export VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON='{"slug":"qa-lead","privacy":"secret","notification_setting":"notifications_disabled"}'
+  run vpt_check_team "personas/qa-lead/persona.yml" qa-lead
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"privacy"* ]]
+  [[ "$output" == *"closed"* ]]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_check_team fails a team that pages its members" {
+  export VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON='{"slug":"qa-lead","privacy":"closed","notification_setting":"notifications_enabled"}'
+  run vpt_check_team "personas/qa-lead/persona.yml" qa-lead
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"notification_setting"* ]]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_check_team fails CLOSED when the teams API errors" {
+  export VPT_TEST_GH_FAIL=1
+  run vpt_check_team "personas/qa-lead/persona.yml" qa-lead
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"could not read team"* ]]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_check_team fails a team JSON missing privacy" {
+  export VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON='{"slug":"qa-lead","notification_setting":"notifications_disabled"}'
+  run vpt_check_team "personas/qa-lead/persona.yml" qa-lead
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_check_team fails when the API returns non-JSON" {
+  export VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON='not json at all'
+  run vpt_check_team "personas/qa-lead/persona.yml" qa-lead
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# vpt_list_addresses — extract (slug, manifest) only for address-carrying personas
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+@test "vpt_list_addresses emits slug+manifest only for personas with an address" {
+  make_persona qa-lead petry-projects/qa-lead
+  make_persona no-addr
+  run vpt_list_addresses "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"qa-lead"* ]]
+  [[ "$output" != *"no-addr"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_list_addresses reports a malformed handle without a traceback" {
+  make_persona bad "no-slash-handle"
+  run vpt_list_addresses "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_list_addresses fails a persona with an empty address block" {
+  mkdir -p "$TMP/personas/empty-addr"
+  printf 'id: empty-addr\nname: empty-addr\naddress: {}\n' > "$TMP/personas/empty-addr/persona.yml"
+  run vpt_list_addresses "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_list_addresses fails a handle whose org does not match VPT_ORG" {
+  make_persona wrong-org other-org/qa-lead
+  run vpt_list_addresses "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"other-org"* ]]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# vpt_run — end-to-end orchestration over a fixture personas tree
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+@test "vpt_run verifies a persona whose team is closed + notifications-disabled" {
+  make_persona qa-lead petry-projects/qa-lead
+  export VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON='{"slug":"qa-lead","privacy":"closed","notification_setting":"notifications_disabled"}'
+  run vpt_run "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"OK"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_run fails when a persona's team is secret" {
+  make_persona qa-lead petry-projects/qa-lead
+  export VPT_TEST_TEAM_JSON='{"slug":"qa-lead","privacy":"secret","notification_setting":"notifications_disabled"}'
+  run vpt_run "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_run fails CLOSED when the teams API errors for a declared address" {
+  make_persona qa-lead petry-projects/qa-lead
+  export VPT_TEST_GH_FAIL=1
+  run vpt_run "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"could not read team"* ]]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_run passes a persona with no address block (address is optional)" {
+  make_persona no-addr
+  run vpt_run "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_run is a no-op when there is no personas root" {
+  run vpt_run "$TMP/nonexistent"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "vpt_run reports a malformed handle without a traceback" {
+  make_persona bad "no-slash-handle"
+  run vpt_run "$TMP/personas"
+  [ "$status" -ne 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" != *"Traceback"* ]]
+}