GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – As college students start returning to school, scammers are using tactics that many students tend to fall for.
For many young adults, entering the real world for the first time leaves them vulnerable and confused on who to trust. “They are young, away from home for the first time, and they kind think that they are invincible.” Susan Bach, Northeast Wisconsin Regional Director for Better Business Bureau says many scams are directed towards baiting students with much-needed money. “What college student would not like an extra bit of cash on the side?” Bach says a common scam is emails that offer students a chance to earn some of the extra cash. “Their email inbox is going to be inundated with work from home offers.” Those offers will either ask for your information or your money up front.
The Better Business Bureau warns that the cons often use real company names and can be very convincing. It may look as though you are starting a great new career, but you are really giving personal information or money to scammers. After you are “hired,” the company may charge you upfront for “training.” You may need to provide your personal and banking information to run a credit check or set up direct deposit. You may be “accidentally” overpaid with a fake check and asked to deposit the check and wire back the difference. Or, you may need to buy expensive equipment and supplies to work at home. The BBB says there are some signs that the job offer is a scam. Watch out for on-the-spot job offers. You may be an excellent candidate for the job but beware of offers made without an interview. If the job posting is for a well-known brand, check the real company’s job page to see if the position is posted there.
Another common scam that college students face is fake living situations. Students trying hard to find a roommate can also be a target, baiting poor college students with a place that does not exist. Rental scams lure you with online ads touting beautiful homes, low rents, and great amenities. The scammer may create a false sense of urgency, telling the prospective renter that others are interested so immediate action is required. The renter puts down a security deposit or prepays a vacation rental, only to find out that the property is not available or does not exist. “For some reason, they concoct a reason why they can’t show the apartment, so they ask for a deposit right away.” The BBB says the roommate scam is easy to identify. Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met for an apartment you haven’t seen. If you can’t visit an apartment or house yourself, ask someone you trust to go and confirm that it is what was advertised. And don’t fall for the overseas landlord story: Scammers often claim to be out of the country and instruct targets to send money overseas.
Recent Better Business Bureau research shows 69 percent of scam victims are under the age of 45 and young adults of the millennial generation are now more likely to fall victim to a scam than baby boomers. The Better Business Bureau has offered some tips of ways to avoid being a college student victim.
Verify the identity of a sender before downloading attachments or clicking on links in emails or text messages, even if they appear to be urgent, to avoid Phishing Scams.
Always check for website security (https) when entering contact details or financial information. Verify business contact information when shopping online or risk potentially falling for an Online Purchase Scam.
If you’re asked to pay for a product or service with a prepaid money card, a wire transfer or with a gift card, you should verify the person or company through which the request was made. These types of payment requests are common with Roommate/Rental Scams, Social Media Scams, and other online transactions.
Lock up materials with sensitive information, like student IDs, SSN, and account numbers, to protect yourself from identity theft. Remember that it’s not always a stranger looking to steal your personal financial information and someone you know can gain access to your personal information in dorms or other common spaces.
Never allow someone else, even someone you think is a friend, access to your financial accounts. This will prevent scams like Card Cracking when someone offers to pay you to use your bank account to deposit a check.
Avoid using your campus mailbox to send or receive sensitive mail.
Be aware of Identity Thieves who may target children and teens. Checking a child’s credit report once per year can help verify the child is safe from identity theft. Thanks to a new federal law in the U.S., free credit freezes, and year-long fraud alerts will be available starting September 21, 2018, through the three credit reporting agencies.
You can visit the BBB Scam Tracker to track and report scams happening where you are.
