BBB shares tips with college students about avoiding scammers

Students preparing for college this fall should be wary of scammers. That's the word from the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. Melanie McGovern from the Buffalo office says students spend money on tuition payments and school supplies, but scammers are using various schemes and scams to steal some of that money. She encourages parents to have a conversation with their kids...

McGovern-Parents need to have a conversation with their kids 

McGovern noted that the Better Business Bureau has found that 18-24 year olds seemed to become victims of scams more often than other age groups.

Here are some recommendations from the Better Business Bureau:

• Fake credit cards - Offers to apply for the first credit card are tempting to many students. Not only could this create credit problems down the road due to unchecked spending, but some of the deals could be phony offers designed to access personal information. Research the offers from the credit card flyers and the banking institutions before applying.
• Too good to be true apartments - It's hard not to jump on a convenient apartment so close to campus, especially if it advertises affordable rent. It's tempting to hand over credit card information online to lock in a great spot, but it's always worth seeing the apartment in person before a money transfer. This also applies to Craigslist and social media ads from other students looking for roommates.
• ID theft - It's a good idea to start practicing healthy money habits, and one such habit is regularly checking your credit report for unusual activity and possible ID fraud. The official government website to do this for free is annualcreditreport.com.
• Scholarship and grant scams - Be wary of phone calls guaranteeing help to reduce loan payments or offering a hefty grant. Search the company's name online for scam alerts or negative reviews from other consumers. Read reviews and complaints about the company at BBB.org and contact the school’s financial aid office for advice and help regarding financing your education.
• Online shopping scams - Online purchase scams can be especially effective when set up through social media platforms and apps. Be careful when it comes to too good to be true offers.
• Awareness of current scams - As tech-savvy as current college students can be, a surprising number of scams reported to BBB's ScamTracker are from students who learned their lesson too late. Use BBB's Scam Tips to learn the latest trends and read local reports of specific incidents.