4 Common Back-to-School Scams That Could Cost You Big Time
Written by
Gabrielle Olya
Edited by
Ashleigh Ray
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College is expensive enough, but it can cost you even more if you fall victim to a scam that targets students and their parents. The best way to avoid these scams is to educate yourself about them and the ways to avoid them.
Here are some of the most common back-to-school scams to be on the lookout for.
Textbook Scams
Textbooks can cost hundreds of dollars each semester, so many parents and students often look for ways to save — but this can make you vulnerable to scams.
“Online marketplaces and social media are common platforms for fraudsters to sell non-existent textbooks to unsuspecting students,” said Dan Cusick, a fraud and claims executive at Wells Fargo.
Cusick cautions that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“If the seller is someone you don’t know and they’re offering deeply discounted prices for textbooks, that should raise an alarm,” he said.
“Whatever you do, don’t send money or share any account information with anyone you don’t know or provide to a company you can’t verify as legitimate. To steer clear of a textbook scam, buy only from trusted sources or retailers.”
This means double-checking the website URL to ensure everything is spelled correctly — many scam sites look legitimate but may have a slight misspelling or grammatical error.
“Once you know that the website is legitimate, look for the ‘padlock’ icon — that symbolizes a secure site,” Cusick said.
He warned you should also avoid clicking on links from an unsolicited email, text message or online ad that promises great deals on textbooks and other back-to-school goods.
“This could be a ‘phishing’ ploy and a way for scammers to install malware on your device or send you to a fraudulent site,” Cusick said.
Scholarship Scams
There are numerous scholarships available to qualifying students, and these can really help lighten the financial burden of college costs. However, it’s important to be discerning when applying for scholarships to avoid scams.
“Scammers target college students by claiming to offer scholarships, grants and other financial aid packages,” Cusick said. “If you receive an email offering some type of guarantee that you’ll win scholarship money, it is a scam.
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“A legitimate scholarship wouldn’t randomly guarantee money; it requires an application process. This is just a tactic for a scammer to get personal information from you to access your identity and entry to your bank account.”
You should be wary of anyone who asks for bank or personal account information before the scholarship is awarded. Another sign that a scholarship is a scam is if someone reaches out to you versus you applying.
“Students may get unsolicited proposals via phone, mail or email with an offer of scholarship. If you did not request information from that provider, it’s a red flag,” Cusick said.
“To guard against becoming a victim of these scams, only apply for scholarships and financial aid through trusted sources such as your college, government websites or other legitimate organizations,” he continued. “If you receive information about a scholarship or financial aid, confirm the validity of the offer with your school’s financial aid office.
“In addition, never pay a fee to receive a scholarship or to apply for financial aid. Avoid services that claim you’ll only be eligible for a scholarship if you provide an up-front payment. And never provide your personal information to unverified sources.”
Student Job Scams
Many college students look for part-time work during the school year to help them pay for tuition costs and living expenses. Unfortunately, there are many scammers looking to take advantage of them.
“Scammers may claim to be recruiters for corporate companies,” Cusick said. “It can start with an invitation to apply for a job with a major lure for students — short hours, remote work and a nice salary.
“After the fake interview, there may be ‘paperwork’ that requires your personal information, which is their way to steal your identity,” he continued. “The new ’employer’ may even mail a fake check as an advance payment or to buy supplies for the job and request you send back the leftover funds; this is known as a fake check scam.
“By the time you realize the check is fake and bounces from your account, you’ve already sent funds from your account.”
Always be wary of any job offer that seems too good to be true.
“Some job scams will look suspicious right off the bat, but other scammers may use increasingly sophisticated techniques to appear legitimate, such as spoofing academic email addresses, setting up fake websites and posing as members of the university/college community,” Cusick said.
Some other signs that a student job is a scam include an email that comes from a personal email address rather than a company email, offers to send a check before any work has been done and asking for you to send any payment to secure the job or job materials.
Student Housing Scams
Colleges don’t always guarantee housing for all four years, so students often have to find housing on their own. This can make them vulnerable to housing scams.
“Scammers post fake rental properties, often with real photos and property descriptions they snag from legitimate postings, with the allure of a deep discount,” Cusick said.
“Once you express interest, you’re pressed to send money right away as a deposit, frequently through a wire transfer or an immediate P2P payment. Once the money is sent to the scammer, they disappear with your money.”
To avoid this type of scam, look out for the following warning signs.
“Avoid any listing that requires you to act immediately,” Cusick said. “If you cannot meet in person and see the rental before you pay, keep looking. Be on alert if you are asked to make a payment via wire transfer, gift card or directly into someone’s account (that you don’t know). These are signs of a scam.”
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