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Back-to-school scams to watch out for, according to BBB

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Published  August 15, 2024 1:42pm CDT
Sullivan's Smart Sense
FOX 26 Houston

Back-to-school shopping? Don’t fall for scams

As parents and students hunt for back-to-school bargains, the Better Business Bureau is warning about scams to avoid. Consumer reporter Heather Sullivan shares some smart tips to protect yourself!

HOUSTON - Many parents and students are shopping for bargains on back-to-school clothes and supplies. But the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning parents and students to watch out for some back-to-school scams.

Add up a couple of years of high inflation, or expenses after Hurricane Beryl, many families have to subtract from their budgets.  

We caught up with savvy shopper Isobella Jade and her two children at Target.

"I’m always looking for the buy one, get one, or even the 25% off. I’m always looking for a sale," said Jade.

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She's shopping online, too, for secondhand clothes.

"I’m definitely going on eBay, probably five times this week, just to check if I can get a better deal," said Jade.

But as families shop for deals, the Better Business Bureau is warning you to watch out for fake ads on social media and fake websites offering hot items for low prices.

"Scammers know. They're opportunists. They know what's in demand. They know it's sold out everywhere. So they create pop-up sites. They create ads to kind of lure you in, and they capture you," explained Jason Meza of the Better Business Bureau.

They say use a credit card with fraud protection and look for that secure lock on store sites.

"We recommend only putting bank account information or credit card details on a secure website that's highly encrypted. It's called an SSL certificate," said Meza.

Did you buy a new laptop or tablet? Experts say to watch out for tech support scams. If you get an email or alert saying there's a tech issue, don't click on it.  Instead, contact your software provider or your school's IT department.

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And scholarship and financial aid scams are running rampant. Thoroughly check out any organization offering a scholarship before you apply or log into their site.

Because as families work with tight budgets, the last thing you need is to lose money to a scam.  

One more warning from experts is to watch out for phishing emails from someone pretending to be a school official.