ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — This consumer alert looks at college, cash and crooks. College campuses will be full of new arrivals in just a matter of weeks. And all those young adults provide fertile ground for scammers. According to the better business bureau, 18 to 24-year-olds are prime targets for scammers.
For example, think about all the school-related bills you pay in college. So you may not be suspicious when you get an email from “The Financial Department” asking for your credit card information to pay another bill. That’s a common scam. Don’t fall for it. Call the school’s financial department directly.
The Better Business Bureau says college students are so often targeted because they’re always on the internet and are less likely to be wary.
“There are not a lot of trust issues so I think that’s what scammers are preying on, is the ability to reach them and reach them quickly,” said Melanie McGovern, Communications Director of the Better Business Bureau of Western New York. “They [college students] make that decision simply by scrolling through their phone. And that’s where we see a lot of the issues happen especially with online purchase scams. The majority of online purchase scams happen for the 18 to 24-year-old demographic.”
Here are some of the most common scams college students fall victim to:
• On-line purchase scams. Crooks usually target college kids through social media, and either steal their money for a product that…
