RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — With students heading back to school, families are expected to spend nearly $900 on back-to-school shopping.
Scammers are looking to take advantage of these expenses to trick consumers, and online shopping is one of the biggest ways scammers can catch consumers off guard, so it’s important to know the warning signs.
When shopping online for new school clothes, backpacks or tech products, be wary of copycat websites offering items at prices far below normal prices. “If you’re on a third-party website or see something in an Instagram ad or other social media ad, use extreme caution,” said Meredith Radford with the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Carolinas.
To ensure you are visiting a secure website, make sure the URL contains “https” and there is a “lock” symbol to the right of the search bar.
The BBB also recommends researching multiple sites for customer reviews rather than relying on one in particular. It’s also important to be wary of clickbait links that claim to offer huge discounts. Scammers hope consumers will click on them to access personal information or place malware on their devices.
High school and college students are also targets of back-to-school scams. Be wary of fake scholarship applications that ask for upfront payments or ask for personal information like your Social Security number.
Scammers continue to target students with student loan debt. They send emails and automated voice messages claiming that their student loans are eligible for repayment. Do not respond to these unsolicited messages and check with studentaid.gov or your private loan service provider directly.
Employment scams also target college and high school students. Ariana Duvall, a student at North Carolina Tech, was scammed out of $2,400 after accepting a job that she thought was a research opportunity at her university. It all started when Duvall received a check from her alleged employer to cash for some stationery. The check had the university’s logo on it and looked authentic. The bank cashed the check, and Duvall followed the instructions to transfer the money through her banking app so she could receive her stationery and start working. Eventually, the bank said the check was dishonored, and Duvall lost her money to a scammer posing as a university professor. All in an attempt to get some quick cash from her.
A big red flag for a job scam is if you’re asked to pay cash or buy gift cards as part of the job. It could also be a scam if the pay seems too good to be true. Another helpful tip when doing your back to school shopping is to always use a credit card. You’ll be most protected if you need to dispute a charge or have a problem with a purchase.
See more stories in ABC11’s “Back To School” section
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