Latest Back-to-School Scam Brings Investigative Search Tool and College Students Together
(PRWEB) September 24, 2013 -- Back-to-School for many students means getting an education to better themselves and society. But this time of year has a darker meaning as well. Scam artists thrive by preying off of cash-strapped college students with clean credit. Scams occur in all shapes and forms, according to Docusearch, a leading online investigative search tool. And when it comes to helping students protect themselves against scams, the team of professional private investigators at Docusearch are skilled at finding fact from fraud.
Most recently, a Palm Beach State College student received a phone call from someone who claimed to be a representative of the college asking for personal banking information in return for additional grant money. The college confirmed this as a scam and promptly warned all students. A search for the 646 phone number returned basic information citing it was a registered mobile phone out of the Bronx, New York.
“Different scams come and go, but generally they entice a prospect with a too-good-to-be-true offer that, in order to receive, they would need to share personal information or pay an upfront cost,” says staff member, Dan Cohn. “And in most cases the perpetrators are never caught because they’re hard to track without the right tools.”
Another popular scam that frequently targets college students comes from untrustworthy counselors and advisors. Many of these frauds promise to help students refine their college choices and negotiate the financial aid maze for a cost. And while there are many legitimate, private, fee-based counselors who truly help students excel, there are many who are out to steal their money.
Whether a scam occurs through the mail, on the internet or on the phone, Docusearch performs a variety of investigative searches, both online and through proven investigative techniques, to obtain information on these frauds. Need a background check on that counselor? Docusearch can look up and compile the criminal records, commercial records and financial records of an individual. Need a phone number lookup for a sketchy call? Docusearch can trace a phone number to identify the name and address associated with the individual connected to the account.
Many students are scammed each school year, but they can easily avoid falling for these frauds by:
• Never giving out personal/financial information over the phone.
• Never replying to an email or a pop-up message asking for personal/financial information.
• Using Docusearch to verify who you are doing business with before they receive anything from you.
About Docusearch:
Docusearch has been profiled by Forbes Magazine and featured in national television media including MSNBC, CNBC, A&E, and Dateline NBC. In addition to their Criminal Court Record search, Docusearch offers a variety of investigative searches and has been a premier provider for on-line investigative solutions since 1996. For more information about Docusearch Investigations and the services they provide visit http://www.docusearch.com or connect with @docusearch on Twitter.
Dan Cohn, Docusearch, http://www.docusearch.com, 800-474-5350, [email protected]
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