GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan. — It’s officially back-to-school season, and as if preparing for college isn’t stressful enough, the Better Business Bureau of Michigan is now warning students who are gearing up to take the ACT or SAT of a scam.
“With high school seniors and juniors, you want to watch for those ACT, SAT preparatory tests, because a lot of companies will sell fake versions,” Nakia Mills with the Better Business Bureau of Michigan said.
According to Nakia, the most common reports they’ve seen have been fake companies promising to sell study guides or online prep courses that never exist or never get delivered, essentially stealing your money. In other cases, scammers reach out to parents, claiming their child has signed up for a course or guide but didn’t complete the order, prompting parents to click on links to finalize the order.
“It might be something to put malware on your computer,” Mills said.
“It might be that you're just entering your financial information, and the scammers can tie that on the dark web to other information so that they can do some other malevolent thing with your information.”
What are some simple red flags to look out for so you don’t become a victim? Here are some tips from the BBB:
-Always be wary of unsolicited callers. If someone calls out of the blue asking for payment, always research the organization before giving any personal information or money.
-Double check with your child. Ensure the service the caller claims your child requested is legitimate before sending money.
-Understand the College Board’s practices. According to the College Board’s policies, they will never ask for bank or credit card information over the phone or via email.
