Bam! Just like that, it’s back-to-school time again. Elementary school, high school or college, it doesn’t matter; it’s a hectic time preparing for the kids’ return to the classroom.
It’s not only a hectic time, but we are predicted to spend a bunch of money as well. According to the National Retail Federation, the average family is expected to spend $864 on school supplies. The average family with a college kid is projected to spend $2000.
Shortages due to manufacturing and supply chain woes make nearly everything from clothing, sneakers and backpacks to computers and other technology equipment hard to find and more expensive. Don’t forget about all the labs, sports, activities, tuition and college prep test expenses either.
Guess what? Frazzled parents, anxious kids and heavy spending make back-to-school time a scammer’s paradise.
Here are a few of the more common back-to-school scams and how parents and students can help protect themselves against these criminal schemes:
Online shopping scams: Scammers set up phony websites offering low-cost school supplies and clothing to entice consumers to enter their credit card information and complete their purchases. Most times the items ordered never arrive, but the scammers now have the consumers’ credit card information and immediately start piling up unauthorized purchases.
In another twist, an email is sent to parents and students saying they had missed a delivery of school supplies and request the…
