Better Business Bureau: How scammers target college students

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - As college students gear up for a new school year with tuition payments and supply purchases, it's also a good time to stay alert to common scams targeting students.

Understanding how these schemes work can help students protect their finances and personal information.

Whether you are starting school away from home or have young students who may be vulnerable to such scams, BBB recommends watching out for these financial scams before heading into the new semester:

• Impostor scams. Impostor scams can take on many forms. One tactic used to get a student's personal information is a phishing email that claims to be from the school's "Financial Department." Messages via text or email may appear, instructing the student to click on a link provided in the email and log in with a student username and password. If a student follows these instructions, the username, password, and other personal information could be given to scammers.
  
• Fake credit cards. Offers to apply for your first credit card are tempting to many students. Not only could this create credit problems down the road due to unchecked spending, but some deals could be phony offers designed to access personal information. Research the offers from the credit card flyers and the banking institutions before applying. Review the BBB tip on credit card scams.
  
• Too-good-to-be-true apartment listings. It's hard not to jump on a convenient apartment so close to campus, especially if it advertises affordable rent. It's tempting to hand over credit card information online to lock in a great spot, but it's always worth seeing the apartment in person before a money transfer. This also applies to Craigslist and social media ads appearing to be from other students looking for roommates. Read more about rental scams.
  
• Identity theft. It's a good idea to start practicing healthy money habits, and one such habit is regularly checking your credit report for unusual activity and possible identity theft fraud. The official government website to do this for free is annualcreditreport.com. Read BBB's article on how to know if someone stole your identity.
  
• Scholarship and grant scams. Be wary of phone calls from companies guaranteeing they can help reduce loan payments or offer a hefty grant. Searching the company's name online could bring up scam alerts or negative reviews from other consumers. Read reviews and complaints about the company at BBB.org and contact the school's financial aid office for advice and help regarding financing your education. Scholarship scams can affect college students even after graduation. Read our tips on scholarship scams.
  
• Check your student loan options only through your Federal Student Aid account at studentaid.gov.
  
• Test preparation scams. Scammers pretend to be companies that can help students pass exams, but once students correspond with the company, the scammers use the messages to blackmail the students into sending funds out of fear of being expelled for cheating. Always read reviews on BBB.org and visit BBB's Scam Tracker to look up a potential scam.

As tech-savvy as current college students can be, a surprising number of scams reported to BBB's ScamTracker are from students who learned their lesson too late. One of the best ways to protect your personal information and finances is to stay alert and aware of new scams. Use BBB's Scam Tips to learn the latest scam trends and read local reports of specific incidents.

File a complaint with the California Attorney General's Office and Arizona Attorney General's Office.

Always read reviews on BBB.org and visit BBB's Scam Tracker. More scam warnings at joeknowsbetter.com.