High School parents warned to beware of scam

A scam involving a man posing as a high-school counselor has officials from some of Utah's real school districts issuing a warning.

Recently, the home of a Cottonwood High School student received a call from man claiming to be a counselor. He told the boy's father that the student needed to register for ACT and SAT preparation classes immediately and to do that, he needed the father's credit-card number, said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley.

The father was immediately suspicious of the call, in part because it came from a blocked number, he said. When the father asked the alleged counselor if he could get a number and call him back, the counselor hung up, Horsley said.

Several homes of Cottonwood High School students received calls Monday, he said.

"It's obvious to me someone had access to a school directory," Horsley said. "He named the student by name."

Horsley said parents need to remember that schools will never ask for personal or financial information over the phone.

Last week, KSL-TV reported a similar scam at Layton High School.

People who think they may be victims of a scam or have information about one should call their local police departments, Horsley said.

— Pat Reavy