As parents and kids get ready for a new school year, scammers are doing some preparation of their own. They’ve packed their backpacks with schemes and tricks to scam unassuming victims out of their hard-earned money. Here are the scams to watch out for during this back-to-school season.
Phishing: Emails and texts can come flooding in this time of year about tuition deadlines, class schedules, supply lists, parent portal access and more. Remember to use best-practice safety measures to prevent phishing attempts – this includes double checking email addresses, avoiding suspicious links, and verifying communications with listed contact information.
Impersonation: Scammers may pose as teachers, coaches, principals, tech staff, or even students to request money or personal information. Examples include: a school nurse asking for your child’s personal details; a coach requesting team fees via Venmo; a principal or teacher requesting gift cards for supplies.
Student Loans & Scholarships: For those parents and students focused on higher education this school year, be on the lookout for student loan scams and fake scholarships. Verify scholarships with the Better Business Bureau and review our tips for spotting fraudulent student loan scams.
As the school year starts, remember these red flags:
- Unexpected requests for money or personal details
- Urgent deadlines that demand immediate action
- Poor grammar or odd formatting
- Links or attachments you weren’t expecting
- Communications claiming to be from the school but using an unfamiliar number or email address
Unfortunately, scammers don’t only target students and parents at the beginning of the year so stay vigilant throughout the school year. Stay on top of scams in future Fraud Fridays with Guthrie County State Bank!