A new scam is targeting students, BBB warns
Aug 16, 2024, 12:00 PM | Updated: 12:48 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — There’s a new scam targeting students just in time for the new school year. Students are being scammed out of thousands of students after looking for homework help.
The Better Business Bureau Director of Communications, Melani Fox said scammers are threatening to report students for cheating if they don’t pay. Scammers can demand thousands of dollars.
“They [students] are paying for the tutoring and then the tutor is doing the work for them instead of coaching them. And then the tutor turns around and is basically threatening to contact their school or contact the college board and basically say that they’ve been cheating,” said Fox.
Fox said parents or students looking for a tutor should ask the school or teacher for referrals.
“If they’re looking to go outside of their school, we just always really recommend checking reviews. Whether it’s on BBB or Google or Yelp or just doing a search.”
If you are a victim of a scam, Fox said to report it to the BBB Scam Tracker and inform your school of the situation.
“It’s best to go back to their teacher and their school and you know, explain what happened,” Fox said.
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