As students return to class, scammers are stepping up efforts to steal personal and financial information. Families are being targeted with increasingly sophisticated schemes, including fake scholarships, job postings, fraudulent online retailers and bogus loan forgiveness programs. Experts recommend a few simple steps to stay safe:

• Shop on trusted websites – Fraudsters often create sites that look real but ask for payment through unconventional payments like gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency.
• Protect your information – Never share Social Security numbers, bank accounts or Federal Student Aid IDs in response to unsolicited emails or calls. Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication whenever possible to add another layer of security.
• Research scholarships and loan forgiveness programs – Legitimate opportunities will never require payment up front. Be skeptical of companies promising immediate loan forgiveness in exchange for a fee.
• Be cautious with unsolicited contact – Scammers may claim to be a financial aid office or an online retailer demanding urgent payment of a past due balance. Work directly with your educational institution and contact them through official channels.
• Educate students about online financial safety – Remind them to proceed with caution when clicking on links and attachments from unfamiliar sources and sharing personal information for giveaways that seem too good to be true.

For more resources on how you can protect your bank accounts, visit capitalone.com/stopscams.