A Free Public Service

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California.

August 5, 2021

BACK TO SCHOOL SCAMS

Courtesy Fraud.org

Fraudsters target students during back-to-school season.

Fraudsters know that young people are always on the lookout for discounts, particularly during the frenetic back-to-school season, and they’re all too eager to give you a “good deal.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), younger people aged 20 to 30 lose money to fraud more frequently than older consumers. According to the Better Business Bureau’s annual Scam Tracker Risk Report, adults aged 18 to 24 are frequent victims.

 Here are some of the most common types of fraud impacting college students and tips on how to avoid falling victim: 

*Credit card scams. College students often fall for scams involving credit cards, from otherwise legitimate credit cards that hit card holders with unfavorable terms, fees, or interest fees to completely bogus credit card solicitations. Consumers can reduce their risk of these scams by applying for a card through their bank if possible and avoid filling out unsolicited credit card offers.

*Property rental scams. College students are often the target of property rental scams where thieves pose as an individual selling or renting a property. The scammers solicit potential renters with promises that the homes will be rented to them once the payment is received. Once the potential renters pay the deposit, the scammer disappears.

*Laptop and cell phone scams. Misleading and false advertisements for free and discounted merchandise often lead young adults to predatory websites offering free or deeply discounted electronics like iPhones, iPads, and other high-dollar hardware. Protect yourself by ordering through official sites instead of clicking on ads on social media. 

*Online textbook scams. These occur when fraudulent fraudsters create fake websites offering attractive discounts on expensive textbooks. The consumer often never receives the textbook and suffers from being ill-prepared for class and out of the money they spent on the textbook. Protect yourself by purchasing or renting textbooks through your university, college or bookstore or publishing companies and utilizing buy-back programs. 

*Scholarship scams. Scholarship scams lure in students looking for help paying for school tuition. These scams ask students to provide personal information or pay upfront fees for non-existent scholarships or for scholarship information that is already available for free. Protect yourself by visiting the Department of Education’s StudentAid.gov website to obtain free resources about scholarships and other financial assistance.

If you or a student you know has been a victim of one of these scams or any other type of fraud, we urge you to file a complaint at http://www.Fraud.org via the online complaint form.

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