Back-to-School: Avoiding Fall Semester Scams

Tuition is expensive enough without getting scammed.

Fall semester is here, and for many students, that means textbooks, dorm keys, and ramen by the case. But for scammers, it’s open season. With young adults navigating tuition, tech, and housing (often for the first time) it’s the perfect time for shady messages and phony offers to slip through the cracks.

Whether you’re a student, a parent, or someone who just really misses syllabus week, here’s what to watch for:  

Student Loan Forgiveness Scams ​ 

"Good news! You qualify for immediate loan forgiveness. Just pay a small processing fee…"

Nope. Loan forgiveness is a hot topic and scammers know it. The real programs won’t DM you, text you from a random number, or ask for upfront fees. When in doubt, visit studentaid.gov directly. 

Phony Scholarship & Grant Offers 

“You’ve been selected for a $5,000 scholarship. Just verify your info to claim.” 

Ah yes, the mystery money you didn’t apply for. If it sounds too good to be true—or comes with a request for payment, banking info, or personal documents—it’s probably a scam. Scholarships don’t charge you to get paid. 

Dorm Rental Scams 

That dream apartment just two blocks from campus with hardwood floors, fast Wi-Fi, and a price that seems too good to be true? Yeah… it probably is. 

Scammers love targeting students desperate for housing. They’ll steal photos from real listings and create fake ads, then pressure you to “send a deposit today to lock it in.” Spoiler alert: once the money’s gone, so is the listing... and the scammer. 

Fake Tech Support for Laptops

Just bought a new laptop for school? Congrats! Now, watch out for pop-ups or emails pretending to be from Apple, Microsoft, or Best Buy saying your device is compromised. They’ll offer to “fix it” for a fee or remote access, which usually ends with stolen data, not solutions. 

“Text from Your School” Phishing 

A random text says your schedule changed. Or your payment didn’t go through. Or your student ID is locked. These look official but often contain bad links or ask for logins. If your school needs you, they’ll reach out through official portals or school emails, not via shady texts with typos and weird URLs. 

Smart Semester Tip 

Scammers bank on urgency, confusion, and stress. So, take five seconds before clicking, replying, or paying. Talk to someone you trust, check the source, and when in doubt—don’t click. 

Trust your gut about any weird messages. And if you're banking with us at DFCU Financial, you can always check with our team before doing anything that involves your account. 

More tips: 

- If you receive a suspicious call or text, please call us at 888.336.2700 to confirm the message is truly from us.  

- Visit our Security and Fraud Protection page for more support.