A Cell Phone Mobile Phone Smartphone FTC Consumer Information Blog Oct 23 2019

Stealing Your ID by Stealing Your Phone’s Account: How to Avoid the SIM Swap Scam

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If your cell phone is your go-to device for checking your email, paying your bills, or posting to social media, you’re not alone. So imagine that your cell phone suddenly stops working: no data, no text messages, no phone calls. Then picture getting an unexpected notification from your cellular provider that your SIM card has been activated on a new device. What’s going on? These could be signs that a scammer has pulled a SIM card swap to hijack your cell phone number.

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College Students: Beware of These Types of Scams — Tips from the Better Business Bureau

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During the transition from high school to college many students and parents are faced with tuition payments, financial aid and scholarship applications, and often have to purchase a new laptop or tablet. These are all things that could lead to being scammed if not careful. According to the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, consumers ages 18 to 24 are three times more likely than seniors to fall victim to a scam. According to 2018’s BBB’s ScamTracker Risk Report, 41.6% of students reported a loss when exposed to a scam as compared to 28.3% of non-students. With college students being the primary target for scams, Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut (BBB) has some useful tips and warnings for college students and their families:

—Fake Credit Cards — It’s not a secret that deals which appear to be a quick and easy way to spend money are offered to college students to get them to apply for their first credit card.