Scams that snag college students
How to spot some of the current rackets and what you can do about them
Delete. Delete. Delete. How many times has that voice gone off in your head after a suspicious-looking email landed in your inbox?
Typically, the email includes a demand to cover a bill or seeks personal information to resolve a technology problem with your computer.
While your knee-jerk reaction is to delete the file immediately or hang up the phone, do your kids have the same instincts?
College-age kids are prime targets for many scam artists. Yes, they’re computer savvy, but they are on their own, perhaps for the first time, have disposable income and have little experience in dealing with financial ruses or phishing expeditions seeking personal information.
Here are a few scams making the rounds lately that could pose troubles for your kids if they let their guard down:
■ Phishing expedition: This scammer left so many red flags that I couldn’t believe the young college-age student who forwarded it to me asked if she should “respond to it, or what!”
The pitch, in the scammer’s own words: “Hi there. I’m contacting you early to inform you of the ongoing investigation concerning your Social Security number and the financial institutions you had when you entered a legal contract with one of our clients.”
“At this time our client is looking to file civil charges for not holding your end of this agreement ... this matter is very sensitive so I do look forward to speaking with you or your legal counsel.”
Poor grammar, choppy sentences, threats of taking immediate action, the mention of your Social Security number are all red flags.
■ Roommate housing scam: Students looking for roommates at off-campus housing post a notice. Then comes the reply from an interested renter who lives out of the area, along with a fake check for more than the necessary deposit, according to a scam alert issued by affordablecollegesonline.org. The scammer will ask for the difference to be returned, which an unsuspecting student will take from his or her checking account.
As the website suggests, the warning signs on this type of scam include any request to send money, claims of living out of the area and refusing other forms of face-to-face communications, including video chats.
■ The tuition scam: A college student gets an email or takes a phone call from a supposed school administrator who claims tuition is late and as a result he or she will be dropped from classes.
Hang up and call the school immediately and explain the situation to make sure your tuition bill is current. No legitimate school will make threats and demand payment over the phone or online.
■ Tech support scams: Microsoft said it received 153,000 complaints from customers about tech support workers masquerading as company employees. It said 15 percent lost money, from $200 to $400, after the bogus workers installed computer applications designed to capture personal information.
If you’ve been victimized, Microsoft recommends uninstalling any applications that were added, changing passwords, scanning files with antivirus protection and calling your bank to reverse any charges from these “services.”
What do most of these and other scams have in common? Requests for immediate payment, requests for personal information and scare tactics designed to throw off your thinking.
Delete. Delete. Delete.