{"id":12931,"date":"2021-08-20T09:00:28","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T16:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/blog\/?p=12931"},"modified":"2021-07-28T11:19:14","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T18:19:14","slug":"online-shopping-scams-to-avoid-as-a-college-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.socialcatfish.cloud\/scamfish\/online-shopping-scams-to-avoid-as-a-college-student\/","title":{"rendered":"Online Shopping Scams To Avoid As a College Student"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether it\u2019s your first or last year of college<\/a>, it\u2019s always exciting to shop for different school supplies online, including books, markers, or backpacks. While there are so many stores, ads, and items to choose from, you must still be able to spot different online shopping scams.<\/a> In this article, we will discuss the various types of college online shopping scams<\/a> to avoid and how you can do so. If you want to ensure a smooth and enjoyable online shopping experience, keep reading!<\/p>\n

Types of College Online Shopping Scams<\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/pexels-pixabay-256517-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

Protecting yourself against scammers<\/a> can be hard if you don\u2019t know the following types of college online shopping scams to avoid:<\/p>\n

Textbook Scams<\/h3>\n

Given that most college textbooks are expensive, you may end up looking for stores online that sell the books at more affordable prices.<\/a> While this may be a good strategy, scam artists are quick to maximize this opportunity by using fake sites<\/a> offering books at relatively low prices. However, you will never get the textbooks because they\u2019re non-existent.<\/p>\n

Other scammers will give you fake codes for digital downloads. You may end up downloading malware<\/a>, which will infect your device. That\u2019s why it\u2019s best to shop from reputable sites to avoid these problems.<\/p>\n

Fake Stores<\/h3>\n

In relation to textbook scams, fake stores are rampant online. Scammers will imitate the websites<\/a> of legitimate and popular stores, including the logo, layout, and photos. Although it looks like a real e-commerce store at first glance, if you check the URL, the creation date of the domain, and browse the content, you will see that it has just been set up.<\/p>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-5632397-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

Fake Advertisements<\/h3>\n

Aside from creating fake sites<\/a> and stores, scam artists<\/a> are also fond of creating fraudulent ads to mislead and victimize college students. You may see ads on social media or in your email, highlighting crazy discounts for all items you need to go back to school. However, if you look closely, you may notice poor grammar or typological errors in the ad. This is why you must think before you click, and see whether the ad is from a legitimate store or just another money-making scheme.<\/p>\n

Fake Giveaways<\/h3>\n

One of the most common college online shopping scams to avoid is fake freebies and giveaways.<\/a> You may think it\u2019s your lucky day after receiving a text message that you can shop for back-to-school items for free. However, there is no such thing, and scammers will urge you to visit a suspicious site<\/a> that will solicit your personal information. Entertaining these links will only lead to identity theft or infected devices, so do not get blinded by these fraudulent offers.<\/p>\n

Mystery Shopping<\/h3>\n

Mystery shopping scams<\/a> are also common, especially when you may want to get a job that matches your schedule and allows you to earn while studying. In this type of scam, you will receive an email inviting you to become a mystery or secret shopper. Earning money while shopping may sound like a perfect job until you hear scammers asking you to pay an up-front fee to proceed with your application. No legitimate employer would require you to make a payment when applying for a job.<\/a><\/p>\n

How To Avoid College Online Shopping Scams<\/h2>\n[aesop_image img=”https:\/\/socialcatfish.com\/scamfish\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/pexels-negative-space-34577-scaled.jpg” panorama=”off” imgwidth=”100%” align=”center” lightbox=”off” captionsrc=”custom” captionposition=”center” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off”]\n

Having discovered the college online shopping scams<\/a>, learn how to avoid them through the following:<\/p>\n