12.8: Defending against Attack- Securing Your Identity and Accounts
- Page ID
- 204472
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Passwords and Security
Preventing and Dealing with Identity Theft
Never Give Info to Someone Who Contacts You
Shred Everything
Order Your Credit Report Annually
Credit Report Review
Creating Strong Alliances: Getting Help and Avoiding Scams
As a college student, you are a prime target for predatory practices designed to make the adviser or company rich at your expense.
Predatory Practices Aimed at College Students
Annuities and Life Insurance
Investment Schemes
| Scam or Scheme | Characteristics or Promises | Issues and Reasons to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Cash value life insurance and similar programs promise that a certain amount of the insurance premiums are set aside as a fund that can be used for expenditures such as college. | If they are ever paid out, the consumer must pay taxes and may also pay fees up to 50 percent, losing much of the built-up value. | |
| Investment Schemes | These highly optimistic “sure thing” / “can’t miss” opportunities are specifically geared toward quick rewards or paying for college. They are often specialized investments such as real estate, gold, or oil. | Sellers often rely on students’ lack of resources and experience to prevent them from thoroughly investigating the opportunity or properly evaluating the contract terms. |
| Offers of high pay for what seems like little work are likely too good to be true. “Car wrap” opportunities (driving around with ads on your car), data entry, and online sales opportunities are typical examples. | The advertised salaries are often very difficult to achieve and come with significant conditions. Some “pay first” programs utilize fake checks to mislead students. | |
| Financial Aid Services or Debt Consolidation | These services offer to find advantageous financial aid packages for a fee.27 | The offers usually do not return as beneficial a package as they promise, and most financial aid can be discovered without paying for it. |
| Phone scammers use threatening, official-sounding messages to scare recipients. They often demand immediate return calls or request account or identifying information. These scams are not unique to college students. | As official as they sound, these are scams. The perpetrators will use any account information you provide to invade your privacy or steal your money. | |
| Too-Good-to-Be-True Credit Cards | Credit cards with very low introductory interest rates, a promise of points, or other impressive-sounding benefits may be offered to students on college campuses, especially during events. | Low rates can explode into high rates or incur fees after a brief period or a single late payment. This is not technically fraudulent, but be very careful when reading the terms. |
| Freebie or Social Media Survey Scams | Many legitimate companies will offer free products or ask students to complete surveys, but high-risk offerings will ask for personal information or account information. | Free products or compensation may not arrive, and even if they do, they may not offset the risk of giving up account information. |
| Fake Universities or Degree Programs (Diploma Mills) | Offers may sound very legitimate and similar to real colleges. They often promise significant financial aid or degrees in just weeks or months.28 | A certificate from a school with no accreditation or a poor reputation is a waste of time and money. Be certain that any college or certificate program is formally accredited; review the credentials of current faculty, and determine the job placement of alumni. |