Scam artists are all around, especially now that they have access to technology. They constantly search for a new group of people to prey on. One group is their favorite – college students. These people are old enough to manage their finances, but inexperienced in handling them. Plus, they congregate by campuses, making them an easy target that moves together all the time.
This is why college student scams are extremely frequent and on the rise.
If you are a college student, the best way to prevent being scammed is to know what the common college scams are. Also, you should be cautious and responsible. This is the time to learn those skills. The following are the top 9 scams student should avoid at all costs.
1. Financial Aid Scams
Every student dreams of the day when someone will call them or write an email that they've received financial aid or scholarship. There are many reported cases where students receive calls or e-mails from people telling them that they've been awarded a scholarship. To process the funds, the caller asks the student to give them their bank accounts. Since the student is thrilled to learn this information, they often don't think twice about this.
2. Imposter Scams
When a criminal pretends he's someone else to earn your trust and get your money or information, this is called an imposter scam. When a person reaches out presenting themselves as a school official, know that this might be one of the frequent college network scams. In most cases, the calls and emails will be warnings of late tuition payment or requests for some money you owe the school.
3. Employment Scams
Many students decide to take a job to support their studies or pay off the student debt. And when a person offers them a truly enticing job, they are unsuspecting. Always research the company before providing them with some information or going to an unusual location for an interview. This can be dangerous for your safety, too.
4. Paper Writing Scams
As the interest in ordering papers online grew, so did the number of fraudulent companies. There are many companies now that offer to do your papers in return for money. As soon as you provide them with your banking details, they'll use it to take your money. Others offer such services just to charge you a big amount and provide no paper in return, or they provide you with terrible or copied content, and you can't do anything about it.
To avoid this, always use a high-rated, safe service. One such service is Essayontime, which is known to be the safest source for quality papers. You can look at more info on their website before you make your orders.
5. Apartment Scams
Criminals know that you'll be searching for apartments or moving service, so they'll use this information to lure you. They'll offer great deals, ask for upfront payment, and disappear. Don't ever agree to rent an apartment without a contract or without seeing it beforehand.
6. Debt Relief Scams
Even though it sounds unbelievable, when someone calls you to tell you that they will pay down your student debt, you will feel immense relief and probably not even think that it might be a scam.
Well, the FTC actually shut down a scam that bilked borrowers out of $23 million. This means that thousands of students were lured with false promises to lower their payments and pay down their student loans.
7. Credit Card Scams
College students are among the most frequently scammed groups when it comes to credit card scams. These scams range from legitimate cards with really bad fees and terms, to illegitimate cards that are actually an attempt at identity theft.
8. Public Wi-Fi Scams
You'll probably use public Wi-Fi often while at college, but be really careful. Hackers exploit the security flaws on public Wi-Fi routers. They may scan the data that you insert when on the network. So, don't expose your personal and financial information while on a public network.
9. Social Media Scams
College students nowadays use social media non-stop. Scammers know this, so they use social media to lure you to fake pages, collect your personal data, and even perform identity theft. Be extra careful with how you use social media, especially when you add people to your profile or posting information online.
Scammers often pick the elderly as their mark, but this group is highly dispersed throughout the world's popularity. The young people are very protected by their parents, making them a tough target. This makes college students their favorite prey, so take all precautions to avoid being scammed.
How To Report a Scammer
Let your family and friends know about this article by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:
How To Protect Yourself More
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You'll receive periodic emails and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
Author's Bio
Sandra Larson is a writer who works full-time and freelance. Her daily job is taking care of new orders and writing texts for everyone who needs them. In her spare time, Larson provides anti-scam services to companies who need her assistance.
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