As parents and students across the country begin the new school year, they may find themselves prime targets for scammers seeking to capitalize on the busy academic season, online as well as over the phone. Common student scams targeting college students include fake scholarship offers, says the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and student loan forgiveness scams, according to the Federal Student Aid Office of the Dept. of Education.
Such scams may be harder to spot alongside legitimate school fundraisers, grants and scholarships, and other efforts that genuinely seek to assist students and their parents.
With the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), it's important to be knowledgeable of how to recognize and avoid scammers using this technology. Scammers can create "deepfakes" to mimic students' or teachers' voices to deceive parents or students into making urgent payments for school or sharing sensitive personal information.
Scammers aren't just using cold calls or robocalls to hijack personal information; they're also sending deceptive e-mails and text messages that appear to be official.
Things to keep in mind:
- You are not required to make loan payments over the phone.
- Student scams are not limited to the start of the school year; be mindful of scams year-round.
- Never provide personally identifiable information over the phone, including Social Security numbers, bank account and routing numbers, and credit and debit card numbers.
- Be sure to keep any student loan information guarded, as scammers tend to target students with loans.
- Monitor your financial records and bank account information closely and often.
For more information on how to avoid phone scams and other unwanted calls or texts, visit www.fcc.gov/robocalls.
File a complaint with the FCC
At the FCC, we often hear first-hand about phone scams through complaints consumers file with us. You can file complaints with the FCC about unwanted calls and spoofing, along with telecom billing, service issues and other matters the FCC oversees. Information about the FCC's informal complaint process, including how to file a complaint, and what happens after a complaint is filed, is available in the FCC Complaint Center FAQ.