Beware: new ACT/SAT prep scams

In the wake of test cancellations, there is a new type of scam to be aware of.

Wink News reports that a family of an SAT student received a phone call from a person who claimed to be an employee of the College Board (the organization that administers the SAT). The caller knew their daughter's name and where she went to school. 

The caller said that since the test was canceled, the College Board would send her "home practice tests, workbooks, and CDs so that she could study at home". Not for free, of course. They asked for $219.35. That was when the family realized something was not right. They hung up and called the College Board to confirm that the call did not originate there.

How to recognize the signs of a possible scam:

• The caller will try to create a sense of urgency and fear of missing out to persuade the family to pay over the phone for an offer that might be too good to be true
• They might try to scare you of negative consequences, e.g. missing on an SAT refund
• Odd means of payments: scammers often call from other countries and may ask to be paid by PayPal, gift cards or other means that the College Board or ACT would never suggest

Stay safe and warn your friends.