Back-to-School Scams
August 1, 2023
The end of the summer, otherwise known as back-to-school season, is a common time to purchase clothing and school supplies for the upcoming schoolyear. Scammers know this and are always looking for new ways to profit at the expense of others. Staying informed of the most popular scams is one of the best ways you can protect your hard-earned money. Here are some of the most common back-to-school scams and how you can protect yourself from scammers.
- Shopping scams: Don’t fall for promises of low-cost school supplies and back-to-school clothing online, as it is likely too good to be true. Only purchase from websites you trust
- Student tax: Involves a scammer posing as an IRS agent to claim that a student never paid his or her student tax and will not be able to attend classes without wiring money, paying with a gift card, or sending bank account/credit card information. There is no such thing as a student tax; it is merely a scam. Also, the IRS will always initiate contact through a letter in the mail
- Scholarship scams: Scammers ask students to pay an application fee to apply for a scholarship that does not actually exist. This scam can be avoided by keeping in mind that legitimate scholarships do not require students to pay an application fee
- Student loan forgiveness scam: Individuals are contacted by a fraudster who promises to help reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The scammer may request a fee or personal information to start the loan forgiveness process. Never work with an individual who makes these promises; instead, contact your loan provider directly if you are struggling
- Advertisements: Social media and other websites are popular places for scammers to post advertisements, usually with some type of enticing deal. Avoid clicking on ads from sources you do not trust, as you could be one click away from downloading malware on your device