SAN ANTONIO – College classes may have already begun for most students, but that’s not stopping scammers from trying to trick students and parents into thinking they haven’t paid their tuition.
The Federal Trade Commission said scammers are pretending to be from school financial aid or bursar offices and telling people their financial aid fell through and must pay the entire balance immediately. They may also tell callers they won’t be able to access their transcripts until they pay.
The FTC said that colleges or universities won’t call and scare you into paying over the phone immediately, but scammers will.
So what do you do if you get a call like this?
First, don’t panic and really think about what the caller is asking you to do.
Resist the pressure to act immediately since scammers will usually try to get you to pay quickly. Do not give them your bank or credit card information if you are put in this situation.
Remember, only scammers will demand payment in the form of cryptocurrency, wire transfer, payment apps or gift cards, according to the FTC.
Scammers may try to spoof phone numbers, where the first six digits make it look like the number is coming from the campus, so don’t trust your caller ID. The FTC recommends blocking all unwanted calls.
If you have doubts about your school account status, use your school’s secure student portals to review your bill and pay your balances. You can also contact your financial aid or billing office using a legitimate phone number to ask about your current status.
Report any fraud to the FTC at reportFraud.ftc.gov.