The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has revealed two new scams that specifically targets college students. Students should be aware of identity theft and fraud so that it won't happen to them.
It was previously reported that college students are the ones who are the most vulnerable to identity theft. However, they are also the ones who are least likely to detect identity fraud. The BBB has shared seven ways that college students can protect themselves from identity theft scams.
"Identity theft can affect penniless students as much or more than their parents," Michelle L. Corey, St. Louis BBB President and CEO, said in the organization's official website. "Sometimes all thieves want is to exploit your clean credit record. By establishing good habits for monitoring and detecting fraud, students can establish healthy financial habits for the rest of their lives."
According to Brainerd Dispatch, the BBB also revealed two new scams that targets college students. The first one involves a call that people receive telling them about their unpaid taxes which they owed on college tuition.
Be careful since some callers are quite convincing and even have detailed information on the victims. The organization reminded students and graduates that tuition fees are not taxed by the government.
The second scam came from a report by a former college student who received a call from someone who claimed to work for the government. The report was made to the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota.
Apparently, the caller was able to provide detailed personal information, which was gathered through unknown means, and asked the recipient to confirm the information. The student's home address, country, and university attended were among the details revealed.
After the information was confirmed, the caller claimed that a "one-time student fee of $1,600 was owed" by the recipient. However, the BBB noted that such fees were non-existent.
The organization advised current and former college students to end the call quickly if ever they encounter these types of scams. Do not confirm or deny any information that these scam artists have gathered. Also, make sure to report these fraudulent calls to ftc.gov and through the BBB Scam Tracker.
