Recent college grads: Watch out for scams

CHARLOTTE — People in their twenties are typically pretty savvy online, but according to the FBI, young people still lost more than $500 million to scams last year.

As college commencement ceremonies wrap up, Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke wants to make sure recent grads avoid scams as they look for jobs, homes and paying back student loans.

Job Scams:

Stoogenke says beware of anything that seems just too good: really high pay for very little work that’s remote with flexible hours, especially if they reached out to you out of the blue, you didn’t initiate it. “Slow down. Many times, even at a bank, we say slow down because that will help you avoid making mistakes,” said Shakeira Tennort of Chase Bank. A big part of her role as community manager is financial education.

Don’t share your personal information on just ‘any’ website, only ones you trust. And watch out for a scheme Stoogenke warns people about often: the fake employer sends you ‘too much’ money to buy equipment and tells you to deposit it and just send them back the difference. A lot of times: their money is fake. But yours is real.

Housing Scams:

Remember: anyone can post a picture of a home online and say it’s for rent or for sale. They may tell you to send money to lock in before you miss out. That’s why it is so important to actually see the place yourself. And make sure the person showing you the home actually has access to it. Stoogenke sees way too many scammers try to rent people’s homes behind their backs. And the would-be renter ends up the loser.

Student Loan Forgiveness Scams:

Be especially careful if someone promises you loan forgiveness. “You graduated from college and, now, you have student loans and you have scammers who are saying, ‘Pay me a fee and I’ll guarantee your loan is going to get forgiven,’” Tennort said. “You have to do your due diligence to make sure it is a reputable organization.”

And with many scams: