IvyPanda recently published a comprehensive article and infographic on “Scams in College and How to Avoid Them,” which describes the various scams directed at college students and ways to prevent being scammed.
It’s similar to the infographic we shared last year at this time on Cybersecurity Threats for Students.
Threats and scams are slightly different, but the objective is the same: to steal your money or information. The main difference is how they are presented to the person on the receiving end.
While scams attempt to trick people into handing over their personal information or money without creating a sense of danger, threats are often much more aggressive and targeted, making people feel unsafe by using intimidation tactics to pressure them into paying up.
Although scam messages won’t typically start with a threat, they can evolve into something more threatening.
Therefore, students can never be too careful. A little paranoia can actually be a good thing. If something looks or feels off, do not trust it. If something causes a “Red Flag” moment, it’s always best to play it safe.
Here are 7 Types of Scams Targeting College Students:
- Scholarship, grant, and financial aid scams.
- Employment scams.
- Rental and roommate scams.
- Textbook scams.
- Unpaid tuition scams.
- Student loan scams.
- Impersonation scams.
Here are ten tips on how to avoid scams in college:
- Be skeptical and ask questions.
- Protect your personal information.
- Never share information with people you don’t know.
- Research the company before interacting.
- Never pay for scholarship opportunities.
- Never pay a deposit before getting any proof.
- Contact your bank in case of suspicious activities with your card.
- Save all messages from a possible scammer.
- Get your textbooks at the university.
- If an offer appears too good to be true, it probably is.
Here’s the infographic from IvyPanda:
For more info, click on this link to read the article at IvyPanda:
https://ivypanda.com/blog/scams-in-college-and-how-to-avoid-them