As they make their way to their new courses and maybe campus, college students are often the target of con artists.
Scholarships, grants, loans, phony apartment ads, test prep schemes, and other things can all be used to trick college students into signing fake agreements that will negatively impact their money and academic standing.
Alan Bearman, Ph.D., the vice president for strategic enrollment management and student success at Washburn University, stated that students should understand that being independent does not equate to being alone.
As they make their way to their new courses and maybe campus, college students are often the target of con artists.
Scholarships, grants, loans, phony apartment ads, test prep schemes, and other things can all be used to trick college students into signing fake agreements that will negatively impact their money and academic standing.
Alan Bearman, Ph.D., the vice president for strategic enrollment management and student success at Washburn University, stated that students should understand that being independent does not equate to being alone.
“Every adult I know lives in a community and that community is full of people that want to help you and walk alongside you. That’s what Washburn will do, that’s what our financial aid team will do, our residential living teams — they’ll help you make sense of the world,” Bearman stated. “You’re an adult and you work on it — but you don’t have to do it alone.”
According to Denise Groene, vice president of operations at the Better Business Bureau, con artists use dishonest methods to give students false optimism. Those wishing to leave the dorms are the focus of one fraud.
“Scammers are phishing around on the internet for houses for sale, using the images of the house, and creating fake posts to lure people into thinking they’re renting the home as opposed to it never being available for rent,” Groene stated.
There is another fraud that offers tutoring services.
“Make sure you have looked into that test preparation company. A lot of scammers will pose as a way to assist you in passing a particular test,” Groene stated. “Obviously they require money for those services and we have heard from victims from these test preparation scams that they end up paying and receive nothing in return.”
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According to Bearman, offers that sound too good to be true frequently are. The good news is that there are more genuine resources around than you may have imagined.
“I tell people all the time, you take half a step forward — we’ll take two steps towards you and walk alongside you and make sure you can navigate college,” Bearman stated.
Before posting personal information online, the BBB and Washburn campus advised anyone in need of help—whether it be with housing, scholarships, or anything else—to visit their campus and ask for help.
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