College Students and Scams: Protecting Yourself in a Digital World
Financial Aid and Scholarship Scams
The scam: Scammers pose as scholarship providers or financial aid officers, promising exclusive scholarships or grants. They may ask for an upfront fee or personal information to process your application.
How to protect yourself:
- Research: Verify the validity of scholarship offers. Legitimate scholarships don’t require payment.
- Guard personal information: Be cautious when sharing sensitive details. Scammers will misuse your data.
Phishing Emails and Texts
The scam: Scammers send emails or texts pretending to be from your college, bank or other trusted institutions. They ask for login credentials or personal information.
How to protect yourself:
- Check the sender. Verify the sender’s email address. Phishing emails usually come from addresses that look like the legitimate company email domain.
- Hover over links. By doing so, you can see the actual URL without following the link. Never click on suspicious links.
- Use multifactor authentication. This will provide an added layer of security when accessing sensitive accounts.
Job and Internship Scams
The scam: Scammers post fake job listings or internships. They may ask for payment for background checks or training materials. They may also send you a fake check and ask you to cash it and use part of the funds for what seems like legitimate employment purchases and then ask you to send the remainder of the funds back to them electronically. The check will usually bounce, ultimately leaving you responsible for paying back the full amount of the check.
How to protect yourself:
- Research employers. Investigate companies before applying. Check their website and reviews.
- Avoid paying for a job. Legitimate employers won’t charge you for job opportunities.
- Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it probably is.
Tech Support Scams
The scam: Scammers call claiming to be tech support from your college or a tech company. They ask for remote access to your computer or demand payment for fixing nonexistent issues.
How to protect yourself:
- Hang up. Legitimate tech support won’t cold call you.
- Don’t grant remote access. Never allow strangers to access your computer remotely.
- Verify with official channels. Call your college’s IT department directly to verify any tech-related calls.
Rent and Housing Scams
The scam: Scammers post fake rental listings, asking for deposits or rent upfront. When you arrive, the property doesn’t exist.
How to protect yourself:
- Visit in person. Always visit the property before making payments.
- Use reputable platforms. Stick to trusted rental websites.
- Avoid wire transfers. Scammers often ask for wire transfers, which generally cannot be reversed once sent. Use other forms of secure payments like a cashier’s check.
Social Media Impersonation
The scam: Scammers create fake profiles of classmates or professors. They may ask for money or personal information.
How to protect yourself:
- Verify profiles. Double-check profiles before accepting friend requests.
- Be skeptical. Don’t share personal info with unknown accounts.
- Report suspicious activity. Always report fake profiles to the platform directly.
Remember, scammers thrive on your trust and urgency. Stay informed, be cautious, and protect yourself from falling victim to their schemes. As college students, you are building your future — make sure to do it wisely!
Sources:
https://www.ml.com/articles/college-students-avoiding-scams.html
