Back-to-school season is an exciting time for students, parents, and educators, but it's also one of the busiest times of the year for scammers. As families shop for school supplies, pay activity fees, search for student housing, and apply for financial aid, cybercriminals look for opportunities to steal money, personal information, and account credentials.

From phishing emails and fake websites to fraudulent online stores and impersonation scams, criminals use a variety of tactics to target unsuspecting consumers. Whether you're a student, parent, grandparent, or educator, recognizing these scams can help protect your personal information and financial security throughout the school year.

Here are six common scams to watch for this back-to-school season.

1. School Payment Scams

Scammers often impersonate schools, parent organizations, sports teams, or extracurricular programs and send fraudulent emails or text messages requesting payment for registration fees, field trips, uniforms, fundraising events, or school supplies. These messages are designed to create urgency and often direct victims to fake payment websites.

      Warning Signs

• Unexpected payment requests that create a sense of urgency
• Links to unfamiliar payment websites
• Requests to pay with gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer payment apps
• Emails with suspicious sender addresses or unexpected attachments

      How to Protect Yourself

• Verify payment requests using your school's official website or a trusted phone number.
• Avoid clicking payment links in unsolicited emails or text messages.
• Whenever possible, pay through your school's official payment portal.

2. Student Housing and Rental Scams

As college students search for off-campus housing, scammers often post fake rental listings using stolen photos and attractive prices to collect deposits or personal information. Many advertise properties that don't exist or aren't actually available.

      Warning Signs

• Rental prices that seem unusually low
• Pressure to send money immediately to "hold" a property
• Landlords who won't meet to provide an in-person or virtual tour
• Requests for deposits before you've viewed the property or signed a lease

      How to Protect Yourself

• Tour the property in person—or arrange a live virtual walkthrough—before sending money.
• Verify the landlord or property management company and research the property address.
• Never pay a deposit until you've confirmed the listing is legitimiate.

3. Financial Aid, Scholarship, and Student Loan Scams

Scammers frequently target students and families seeking financial assistance by offering guaranteed scholarships, grants, student loan forgiveness, or financial aid services. Their goal is to collect personal information, steal money, or gain access to financial accounts.

      Warning Signs

• Claims that you've been "guaranteed" financial aid or a scholarship
• Requests for upfront application or processing fees
• Unsolicited offers promising student loan forgiveness
• Requests for social security numbers, banking information, or account credentials

      How to Protect Yourself

• Work directly with your school's financial aid office and official government resources.
• Never pay a fee to receive a scholarship, grant, or financial aid.
• Treat unsolicited requests for personal or financial information with caution.

4. Online Shopping and Technology Scams

Back-to-school shopping often includes laptops, tablets, calculators, clothing, and other school supplies purchased online. Unfortunately, scammers create fake online stores and fraudulent social media ads that promise deep discounts but are designed to steal payment information or collect money for products that never arrive.

      Warning Signs

• Prices that seem too good to be true
• Poorly designed websites or missing contact information
• Requests for unusual payment methods
• High-pressure offers or unsecured checkout pages

      How to Protect Yourself

• Shop with trusted retailers and secure ("https") websites.
• Research unfamilar businesses before making a purchase.
• Use a credit card when possible and monitor your accounts for unauthorized transactions.

5. Student Employment Scams

Students searching for part-time jobs, internships, or flexible work opportunities may encounter fake employment offers designed to steal personal information or recruit victims into fraudulent activities, including money mule schemes.

      Warning Signs

• Job offers that seem too good to be true
• Requests for banking information before you're hired
• Employers asking you to deposit checks or transfer money
• Interviews conducted only through text messaging apps

      How to Protect Yourself

• Research employers before accepting a position.
• Never deposit a check and send money to someone else.
• Don't share sensitive personal information until you've verified the employer is legitimate.

6. QR Code Scams

QR codes are commonly used for school forms, event registrations, fundraising, payments, and other digital resources. Criminals may replace legitimate QR codes with fraudulent ones that direct users to fake websites designed to steal login credentials, payment information, or other sensitive data.

      Warning Signs

• QR codes covering existing signs or advertisements
• Requests to enter personal or financial information after scanning
• Website addresses that appear unusual or misspelled
• Unexpected prompts to download applications or software

      How to Protect Yourself

• Preview the destination URL before opening it, if your device allows.
• Confirm you're visiting the organization's official website before entering personal information.
• If you're unsure, go directly to the organization's website instead of scanning the QR code.

Extra Credit: Build Strong Security Habits

Whether you're a student, parent, or grandparent, practicing good cybersecurity habits can help reduce your risk of fraud all year long.

Strengthen Your Cybersecurity

• Use strong, unique passwords for every online account and consider using a password manager.
• Enable multifactor authentication (MFA) whenever it's available.
• Monitor your bank and credit card accounts regularly for suspicious activity.
• Set up account alerts to help identify unauthorized transactions quickly.
• Keep your devices, browsers, and apps updated with the latest security patches.
• Be cautious of unsolicited emails, text messages, and phone calls requesting personal or financial information.
• Verify requests for money or sensitive information before responding—even if they appear to come from someone you know.

Developing these habits can help protect your personal information and financial accounts well beyond the back-to-school season.

Stay Alert This School Year

Back-to-school season should be filled with excitement—not the stress of recovering from a scam. Whether you're paying school fees, shopping online, applying for financial aid, or searching for student housing, taking a moment to verify before you click, scan, or send money can help protect your personal and financial information.

While scammers continue to evolve their tactics, many back-to-school scams share common warning signs. Staying informed, thinking twice before responding to unexpected requests, and following good cybersecurity habits can go a long way toward reducing your risk of fraud.