{"id":79074,"date":"2016-08-18T06:27:39","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T11:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=79074"},"modified":"2016-08-18T06:27:39","modified_gmt":"2016-08-18T11:27:39","slug":"dewine-warns-of-student-targeted-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2016\/08\/18\/dewine-warns-of-student-targeted-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"DeWine warns of student-targeted scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n

COLUMBUS — As students head back to school, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is warning consumers to beware of scams targeting students.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople of all ages can be targeted by scams. For a student with limited income, losing money to a con artist can be devastating,\u201d Attorney General DeWine said. \u201cOur goal is to help people recognize the warning signs and avoid scams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scams targeting students include:<\/p>\n

Grant scams<\/strong>. Consumers receive a message on social media or a phone call saying they\u2019re eligible for a federal grant worth several thousand dollars. In order to receive the grant, they\u2019re told to pay a few hundred dollars in advance to cover taxes or fees. Ultimately, it\u2019s all a scam; there is no real grant and any money the consumer sends will be lost.<\/p>\n

Student loan relief scams<\/strong>. Consumers are contacted by a student loan relief service that offers to help consolidate, reduce, or eliminate their student loans. Consumers are told to pay an upfront fee or to start making their student loan payments to this service. Despite its promises, the debt relief service never reduces the consumer\u2019s student loan debt and consumers are left in a worse financial position.<\/p>\n

Part-time job scams<\/strong>. Consumers find a part-time or seasonal job online. They complete an online interview and are selected for the position. As one of their first assignments, they receive a check and are told to deposit it, then immediately send some of the money to fulfill a certain task, such as paying the employer\u2019s landlord or buying equipment. After sending the money, the consumer finds out that the employer\u2019s check was counterfeit and the job was a scam.<\/p>\n

Apartment rental scams<\/strong>. A consumer finds a good deal on an apartment online and responds to the ad. The \u201clandlord\u201d tells the consumer to wire a down payment to secure the rental. After sending money, however, the consumer finds out that the landlord was a scammer and the rental ad was bogus.<\/p>\n

Online buying and selling scams<\/strong>. Consumers go online to buy or sell an item, such as a car, a bike, or furniture. They pay to buy an item but receive nothing in return. Or, they try to sell an item and a \u201cbuyer\u201d sends them a check for more than the agreed-upon price and asks them to send back the extra amount right away (before the buyer’s check has cleared). After sending the money, they find out the buyer\u2019s check was counterfeit; it was all a scam.<\/p>\n

Signs of a potential scam include:<\/p>\n