SAT/ ACT test prep scam: What to know

There’s a new scam when it comes to the SAT and ACT exams. 

The scam targets parents of children who get a call from a person claiming to be from the College Board - the company responsible for the tests.

Parents are told their child wants to take a free prep course, and they’re asked to confirm their address to send materials the child requested at school. 

However, according to the Better Business Bureau, there are no materials and there is no course.

"Of course you never get anything," President and CEO of Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York Claire Rosenzweig said.

Scam tracker reports show, on average, parents have been charged $130 and in some cases as much as $600.

Lockwood said it’s hard to tell the difference nowadays between marketing opportunities and scams.

"On average, the college board will sell each student's name 18 times over the course of a year and a half after the register and each family gets bombarded with all kinds of messages," he said.

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The Better Business Bureau said the College Board never asks for bank account or credit card information over the phone or through email and if you're unsure, always verify a company on their website. 

They also say people should know that unsolicited calls for personal information, no matter the story - are a red flag.

Parents can also tell their children if they know anything, as experts say, if it sounds too good to be true, it very well may be.

Education