Back-to-School Season Is Here: Don’t Let Scammers Make the Grade
Published on August 19, 2025 | 4 min read | Webster Bank
Last updated: August 31, 2026
Back-to-school season brings a long to-do list for students and parents, from buying supplies and paying tuition bills to setting up new devices and dorm rooms. Unfortunately, it is also a busy season for scammers looking to take advantage of families juggling deadlines, expenses and countless communications from schools.
Whether you’re preparing for college, sending a child off to campus or managing school expenses for the first time, staying alert can help keep your personal and financial information safe. Here are some common back-to-school scams to watch for this year.
1. Tuition Payment Scams
Scammers may send emails, texts or phone calls claiming there is an issue with tuition payments or that an urgent balance is due. These messages often create a sense of urgency and direct victims to fake payment portals designed to steal money or personal information.
TIP: Always verify payment requests through your school’s official website or billing office. Never use links provided in unexpected messages.
2. Financial Aid and Scholarship Scams
Students seeking help with education costs remain a popular target. Fraudsters may promise guaranteed scholarships, grants or financial aid opportunities in exchange for application fees, personal information or banking details.
TIP: Legitimate scholarships and grants do not guarantee awards in exchange for payment. Research opportunities through trusted organizations and your school’s financial aid office.
3. Fake School Communications
Scammers often impersonate schools, professors, registrars, financial aid offices and IT departments. These phishing emails or text messages may ask students to verify accounts, reset passwords or click on links to access important information.
TIP: Be cautious of unexpected requests for credentials or personal information. Log in to school accounts directly through official websites instead of clicking links included in emails or text messages.
4. Student Account Takeover Scams
Students increasingly rely on online portals for classes, financial aid, housing and banking. Criminals may attempt to steal usernames and passwords through phishing attacks or fake login pages. Once inside an account, they may redirect financial aid funds, access sensitive personal information or compromise linked accounts.
TIP: Use strong, unique passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever available. MFA provides an additional layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, making it much harder for criminals to gain access even if they obtain your password.
5. Fake Job and Internship Offers
Students looking for flexible work opportunities may encounter fraudulent job postings offering high pay for minimal work. Scammers may ask for upfront payments, banking information, gift cards or mobile deposits before employment begins.
TIP: Be skeptical of opportunities that seem too good to be true. Legitimate employers will not ask applicants to send money, purchase equipment from specific vendors or deposit checks on their behalf.
6. AI-Powered Impersonation Scams
Artificial intelligence continues to make scams more convincing. Criminals can use AI-generated voices, images and messages to impersonate students, parents, school officials or financial institutions. A parent may receive a call that sounds like their child requesting emergency funds, while a student may receive a realistic message appearing to come from a trusted school representative.
TIP: Don’t rely solely on the caller ID, voice or appearance of a message. If someone requests money, personal information or urgent action, stop and verify the request through a trusted phone number or contact method.
Back-to-School Security Checklist
As students head back to the classroom, taking a few simple precautions can help reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft.
- Verify tuition, financial aid and payment requests directly with your school.
- Be cautious of unexpected emails, texts or phone calls that create a sense of urgency.
- Never share your Social Security number, banking information or school login credentials unless you’re certain the request is legitimate.
- Use strong, unique passwords for school, email and financial accounts.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever available.
- Monitor your bank and credit accounts regularly for suspicious activity.
- Keep devices, apps and security software up to date.
- Research employers before responding to job or internship offers.
- Verify urgent requests for money or personal information through a trusted contact method, even if the message appears to come from someone you know.
- Talk with family members about common scams and encourage students to ask questions if something doesn’t seem right.
A few extra moments of caution can help prevent a costly mistake. By staying informed and following these simple steps, students and families can focus on a successful school year instead of dealing with fraud.
Concerned You May Have Been Targeted?
If you believe you may have shared personal information or sent money to a scammer, contact your financial institution immediately. The sooner suspicious activity is reported, the greater the opportunity to help limit potential losses and protect your accounts.
