Don’t Let Scammers Ruin Your School Year: Tips to Help Stay Safe

As students head back to school and take on new financial responsibilities, they can also become targets for scammers. Whether they’re opening bank accounts, signing leases, or searching for jobs and scholarships, students may encounter schemes designed to steal their money and personal information.

According to the FTC, consumers under age 29 lost more than $490 million to fraud and scams in 2025. Back-to-school season can be expensive, and scammers take advantage of this by creating fake offers and deals that seem legitimate. It’s crucial for students and parents to understand the warning signs and how to protect themselves.

“Back-to-school season is a major opportunity for scammers targeting students and families preparing for the new year and navigating new financial milestones,” shares Tanyika Rickard, Chase Community Manager in Philadelphia. “Understanding common scams and how to spot them can help you protect your money and personal information.”

Some of the most common scams students and families may encounter include:

• Online Shopping Scams: Scammers attract shoppers with deals on in-demand items like textbooks, electronics, and other back-to-school essentials. After you pay, the product may never arrive or may not match what was advertised.
• Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams: Scammers pose as scholarship providers or financial aid organizations to steal personal information or money. They may direct students to fake websites or even charge a fee to “process” scholarship or financial aid paperwork.
• Job and Housing Scams: Scammers advertise fake jobs, often offering high pay or flexible schedules that attract students looking to earn extra money. Scammers may also post fake apartment listings and pressure students to send deposits before seeing the property.
• Phishing and Impersonation Attempts: Scammers pose as school officials, banks, or businesses, claiming there is an issue with tuition, housing, registration, or an account to pressure students into sharing information.

It’s important to understand how scammers operate and the red flags to watch out for. Consider the following tips to help you stay safe:

• Be cautious of “too good to be true” deals. Purchase only from trusted, verified retailers.
• Verify scholarship and job offers through official channels. Before sharing personal information, verify the opportunity through your school’s website, a government website ending in “.gov” or the employer’s official website.
• Avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails or texts. Even if a message appears to come from your school, bank, or another trusted organization, contact the business directly using a verified phone number or website to confirm the request is legitimate.
• Use digital tools. Credit and identity monitoring services can help you protect your accounts and information from scams. Chase Credit Journey offers free credit and identity monitoring, including alerts if your personal information is exposed in a data breach or on the dark web. You don’t have to be a Chase customer to use it.

To help consumers stay ahead of common and emerging threats, Chase hosts more than 1,000 free fraud and scam prevention workshops each year in communities across the country. This September, Chase will host a workshop for Philadelphia Community College students focused on recognizing scams and protecting their money and personal information during the back-to-school season.

Visit Chase.com/ScamProof for more scam prevention tips and resources to help protect your money and personal information.

Disclaimer:

For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described in this article or provided via links may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendation for any business. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not provide or endorse third party products, services, or other content.

Deposit and credit card products provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

© 2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Data citation:

Federal Trade Commission. Fraud Reports: Reported Frauds and Losses by Age. Tableau Public, https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/FraudReports/StateSubcategories. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

 

This is a paid partnership between Chase and Philadelphia Magazine