How to Protect Yourself From Cyber Scams That Target College Students

March 10, 2021

Financial services scam – College students may receive seemingly legitimate offers for scholarships, grants, or work opportunities that are simply a ploy to get their sensitive data.
Unpaid tuition scam – In this scam, the student or their parents receive a notification that tuition has not been paid. The scammer claims that if the bill is not paid immediately, the student may be unenrolled.
Fake job scams – Scammers may promise online jobs or quick money to college students who they know are pressed for time. They may charge for initial supplies or send a bad check to get the scam started.
Roommate scam – Scammers may prey on college students who are looking to live off campus by setting up fake advertisements. The scammer may require an upfront security deposit or use the information on an application to commit identity theft.
COVID-19 scam – Colleges across the country have reported students are receiving emails about COVID-19 economic stimulus checks. Once the victim clicks on these phishing emails, they are redirected to a site to provide their private data that scammers use to steal victims’ identities.

Don’t give out personal information when it is not necessary.
Use multi-factor authentication.
Confirm with your school whether a communication really came from them.
Use strong passwords, and not the same password for multiple sites.
Do research on any business that contacts you.
Only use a secure Wi-Fi network.
Get your credit monitored periodically so that you are aware of any compromised data. (Editor’s note: The author’s employer, IDstrong, provides this service.)

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