The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued warnings that scammers are contacting college students or their parents with claims that they work at the student’s college and that a tuition bill needs to be paid immediately.
They often use a sense of urgency, saying that the financial aid fell through or that classes will be dropped if the issue is not resolved. It is important to note that the school administration won’t use scare tactics to collect payment over the phone.
If you receive a call:
- Resist the urge to act quickly. Your school will never request payment via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app or gift cards.
- Remember that scammers can spoof phone numbers to appear as if it coming from the school.
- Contact your school directly using their secure online student portal or a verified phone number for your school’s financial aid office. You can usually find this on school paperwork or on the school’s website.
Visit the FTC article at consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/08/got-call-about-unpaid-college-tuition-it-could-be-scam to read more.
If you are a MVSB customer and you are concerned your personal or financial information was compromised due to a tuition scam, please call us directly at 800.922.6872 so that we can assist you with protecting your accounts and identity.
