Why that deal on a college textbook might flunk out, plus more back-to-school scams

It's crunch time for back-to-school to-do lists — and the criminals know it.

Everyone from parents of preschoolers to college students going to campus must slow down a bit here and recognize that rushing can make you easy prey for digital duplicity. Here's a look at a list of scams that can heat up in August and September:

Fake websites: Many students search for bargains online to cut costs for books, online materials and supplies. But fraudsters are finding ways to steal your money or ID information by creating attractive websites that promote online deals on books and other items. "Scammers are creating a fake online store, like a duplicate store," warns Diedra Porché, national head of community and business development at Chase.

Often, Porché said, the back-to-school shopper who orders from one of these phony websites ends up getting substandard merchandise, such as an outdated textbook or study guide. "Or you may not get anything at all," she said.

"Don't respond to email offers or text messages that try to entice you to buy from them," Porché said.

Avoid clicking on "click-bait ads" featuring high-demand items: Criminals know the popular brands and items and use a domain that is nearly identical to one of a trusted brand, said Nakia Mills, director of marketing for the Better Business Bureau offices in Southfield.

Take note of any ad you see, but instead of clicking on a link, go directly to the store's website by typing the name into the search bar. "Note the website's privacy policy and contact information, and always use a credit card when purchasing," Mills said.

Verify if any special deals are being offered at the legitimate site. Is the retailer really offering 50% off everything online? If the ad you’re seeing for a deal on cool clothes for school cannot be found anywhere on a retailer's website, you're likely dealing with a scam.

What are the signs of a fake site? Prices that sound too good to be true. Words or graphics that don't look quite right. A weird URL. Is there even a phone number listed that you could call about a problem? Google the website's name or the product with the words “complaints,” “reviews,” and “scam” to see what other customers are saying.

Pay attention to where you're sending money: Porché at Chase said consumers should pay attention to the online site and seller before actually completing the purchase and before sending any money.

Make sure you see what name actually pops up before you complete the transaction.

"When in doubt, you can always abandon the transaction and reach out to your bank," Porché said. "Speak to your financial institution about the transaction you're trying to make."

Sometimes, the ad online can look like a place where you've shopped before, but unlike a legitimate site, you're not offered a place where you pay with a credit card, according to a warning on the Chase.com/spotscams site. Instead, you might only be able to pay by a digital payment platform, like Zelle.

"I thought no big deal and paid with Zelle," according to a consumer story on the Chase site. "I got suspicious when I didn’t get a confirmation email right away like I usually do. I waited about three weeks, but the merchandise never showed up. I tried to put in a claim for fraud with my bank, but I was told there’s no way to get my money back."

A sign of a scam, according to Chase: Scammers often try to rush you and say that you do not want to miss out on a deal. But they will urge you to go off a given platform to make a transaction or put down a deposit. But, according to Chase, "Zelle is not the best way to purchase goods." You need to treat the payment app like cash and only send money to people you know and trust.

The fake banking text: The back-to-school rush in early August opens the door for scammers to target college students and others with phony, alarming texts that might claim a big Amazon purchase was just made or that your bank account was hacked. Don't click on any links. Go to your bank card or statements to call the number listed there to see whether a real issue exists.

Scammers frequently impersonate banks or retailers and hide behind fake texts about suspicious activity on your account. And then the crooks engineer ways to access your bank account and drain savings.

Scholarship and financial aid scams: Crooks pretend to offer money to help you cover tuition or other expenses through an out-of-the-blue phone call, email or text. The sign of the scam is that you're asked to provide a Social Security number, a bank account number or pay a fee to get this scholarship or financial aid processed. Scammers might ask you to pay the fees by putting money on a gift card and sending it via a digital payment app. Don't do it.

"When students are vulnerable, bad actors may try to take advantage of the situation," said Allie Bidwell Arcese, senior director of strategic communications for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Loan forgiveness scams often involve trying to get borrowers to pay for services that they can get for free, she said, such as loan consolidation or applying for an income-driven repayment plan.

The word “free” is in the name of the FAFSA form, she noted, and it does not cost anything to apply for financial aid.

Fraudsters also are trying to steal personal information, such as your FSA ID or Social Security number. Scammers will use official looking government logos at times to seem more legitimate.

Go to StudentAid.gov to fill out your FAFSA form at this government website. The 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid form is now available. You can complete the form to apply for financial aid for attendance at college between July 1 and June 30, 2025. Pay attention to some deadlines for financial aid from different states and schools.

A real student loan email: To be sure, a legitimate email was sent in August by the U.S. Department of Education to all federal student loan borrowers with at least one outstanding federally held student loan.

The email alerts borrowers that they will have until Aug. 30 to call their servicer and opt out of relief from their federal student loan burden. The proposed rules for federal loan forgiveness are not final yet; no guarantees exist for how much debt might be forgiven.

Having student loan forgiveness back in the news, though, could trigger more types of scams.

The Federal Trade Commission warned earlier this year that scammers have phoned borrowers saying they're affiliated with Federal Student Aid (FSA) or the Department of Education but they aren't.

"They’ll say they’re following up on your eligibility for a new loan forgiveness program, and might even know things about your loan, like the balance or your account number," according to an FTC alert. But student loan borrowers need to step back and do their research without rushing to make any moves.

See StudentAid.gov to review current proposals for debt relief for federal student loans.

More:A new email about proposed federal student loan forgiveness heads to millions of borrowers

More:Federal student loan rates hit high levels not seen in years as many go back to college

College tuition scams: College students can get fake phone calls or texts warning that the student's classes will be dropped — unless the student pays money now to cover a so-called gap in payments to the university. But universities aren't making such calls. Again, don't engage or hand over key information.

Tech support scams: Do not respond to calls, emails or texts from someone who claims to be a computer technician. Don't call the number that pops up on your TV or computer screen.

Fake job offers: Honestly, most students who want to make extra cash would love to get an email from a professor with an opportunity to be part of a research project. But several colleges — including the University of Michigan, Oakland University and others — warned students in 2024 about scammers who send texts or emails that impersonate university faculty or outside employers, tempting students with fake internships or remote work opportunities.

If you get a check from Auntie Mary: Some loving relatives send money or checks in the mail to their favorite college students. My Mom used to write me a letter once a week when I was attending Michigan State University and she'd send me a $5 bill, and sometimes stamps, in each envelope that she mailed to what she called her "favorite charity."

Today's college students often can take that paper check and directly deposit it by using their mobile banking app on their smartphone or tablet. If you do that, though, wait a few days for the check to clear and then make sure to shred it. Don't just toss it in the trash and enable someone to come along to use that information later for check fraud.

Not a scam but a warning nonetheless: Paying with a credit card makes sense, according to consumer watchdogs, to get the best protection from scams. But anyone shopping for back-to-school T-shirts and sneakers should be warned about the high cost of credit card debt. We're looking at interest rates in the 21%-and-higher stratosphere. And you could be at risk for higher rates, too, if your credit card issuer sees signs that you might be taking on too much debt.

American Express, for example, notified one Michigan cardholder about that card's rate being set to go up to 25.99% as of Sept. 27 for new purchases and balance transfers made on Aug. 16 and afterward.

American Express responded to a Free Press inquiry noting that the company is not raising annual percentage rates across all its cards. Instead, APRs are determined on an individual basis.

American Express stated: "We periodically review Annual Percentage Rates to ensure card members are at the appropriate rate based on their FICO score. APR decisions are made based on an applicant’s FICO score when they apply for a card. If during their card membership their score changes, we may raise their APR accordingly. For these customers, if their FICO later improves, we may reduce the APR."

The average credit card rate is 20.73%, according to data from Bankrate.com. It's an expensive way to borrow.

If you're using a credit card to buy back-to-school items, take extra care to pay off the balance each month or as much as possible to avoid high-cost credit card debt.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) @tompor.