The New York Department of State’s Division of
Consumer Protection “Tuesday’s Tips” provides targeted scam prevention and shopping tips for
adults and children ahead of the new school year. Follow the New York
Department of State on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and check in every
Tuesday for more practical tips that educate and empower New York consumers on
a variety of topics. Sign up to receive consumer alerts directly to your email
or phone here.
“As another
summer comes to an end and New Yorkers begin preparing for the back-to-school
rush, it’s important for parents and guardians to be aware of potential scams
aimed at stealing personal information,” said
Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez. “Whether shopping for
school supplies or helping your young student with new online learning tools,
these tips will help protect you and your family’s privacy and finances.”
Below is some
guidance on how to start the new school year safely.
Think
About Children’s Privacy:
Under New York
State’s Education Law, if you are a parent of a child in the New York State
schools, you have rights regarding the privacy and security of your child’s
personal information and data. NYS law requires each educational agency to
publish a parents’ bill of rights for data privacy and security on its website.
Technology has
become a permanent fixture of the education experience. The Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) issued a policy statement putting educational technology on notice of
their obligations to protect children’s privacy. In other words, educational
technology companies must comply with privacy requirements and can’t require
parents and schools to agree to the comprehensive surveillance of children for
kids to use their learning tools. Thus, parents and guardians need to place
close attention to the technology children use, what information is collected
and how it is used.
Some
important things for parents to know:
Other
ways to pay close attention to your child’s personal information:
- Protect documents that contain a child’s personal
information. Understand
where your child’s information is stored. Ask how after-school
organizations and sports clubs secure their records: Are digital records
connected to the internet and, if so, are they encrypted? Are physical
records locked in filing cabinets? Who has access?
- Be careful when providing identifying information to
after-school activities and sports clubs upon registration. If asked for a Social Security number (SSN), inquire
why it is needed and ask to use another identifier. Oftentimes
organizations include the SSN request as a formality and it may not be
mandatory.
- Only label books, backpacks and lunches with the
student’s full name and any other information on the inside! Using initials on the outside is okay, but names, even
just first names, on the outside can create an unsafe situation.
- Discuss internet safety tips with children and remind them to be careful about opening attachments
and suspicious emails. For tips on how to stay safe online, please see
information from this January 2020 Consumer Alert.
Both parents and students should be careful on
all social media platforms: don’t overshare. Any information you post can be seen and utilized by identity
thieves. Avoid sharing personal information including full names, addresses,
phone numbers, Social Security numbers or even where they go to school. Social
media posts often reveal sensitive information unintentionally. Cybercriminals
look for content that can reveal answers to security questions used to reset
passwords, making accounts vulnerable to identity theft.
Avoid
Back to School Shopping Scams:
Back-to-school
shopping is parents’ second largest spending event (behind holiday shopping).
Oftentimes, a shopping scam starts with a fake website, mobile app or,
increasingly, a social media ad. Every year, smartphone shopping becomes more
popular for its convenience. DCP urges consumers to take note of common scams
while shopping. Scammers may try to exploit the back-to-school rush through
fraudulent ads or through other forms of solicitations.
- Protect your identity when shopping online. Ensure transactions are conducted over a secure
connection. Make sure the website is secure by identifying a padlock
symbol by the URL or the https and avoid using public Wi-Fi to log in to
online accounts.
- Download retail apps only from trusted sources. Cybercriminals are now creating apps that look and
might even function like legitimate retail apps but are actually malware
designed to steal your personal and financial information, send text
messages without your knowledge or even track your location using your
phone’s GPS capabilities.
- Beware of fake ads and websites. As fraudsters continue to advance in sophistication,
fake websites frequently resemble legitimate sites with credible looking
logos, pictures and payment options. If the website is advertising
extremely low prices, or discounts beyond 50 percent, consumers should be
wary and diligently verify the legitimacy of the seller.
- Learn how to spot phishing emails. Scammers may send phishing emails to students and
parents saying that they missed a delivery of school supplies. These
emails request that the recipients click on a link to reschedule this
delivery. That link either floods victims’ computers with malware or sends
them to fake websites that request their personal and payment information.
- Ensure you know who the seller is. Some major retailers allow third party sellers to list
items on their site, and those items can be hard to distinguish from the
rest. Read all the fine print to ensure you are comfortable with the
seller.
- Pay attention to return and refund policies. Retailers must post their refund policy. If no refund
policy is posted, consumers have up to 30 days from the date of purchase
to get a full refund or store credit with receipt. For more tips, please
see information from this December 2022 Consumer Alert.
- Use a credit card for online purchases, if possible. Credit cards offer the most protection against fraud,
including the right to dispute charges if there are problems with your
purchase. Beware of online sites that ask for payments via gift cards or
cash transfer apps.
- Watch out for fake coupons on social media. If the coupon doesn’t come from a recognized coupon
distributor, the manufacturer or a specific store, be wary.
The
New York State Division of Consumer Protection provides resources and education
materials to consumers, as well as voluntary mediation services between
consumers and businesses. The Consumer Assistance Helpline 1-800-697-1220 is
available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm, excluding State Holidays, and
consumer complaints can be filed at any time at www.dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection.
For other consumer protection tips and consumer
alerts, consumers can visit the DCP website or follow DCP on social media via
Twitter at @NYSConsumer or Facebook at www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.
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