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High School Parents Targeted By SAT Scam

BOULDER, Colo (CBS4) - The pressure is on high school students to get into a good college. Parents also feel pressure to help their children get into college, so when a call comes that offers just that help it's hard to resist.

"When someone tells me something might help the child get a good score on SAT and SAT is all colleges look for, it's very important," said Kala Paul-Pletzer, mother of a Boulder High School Student.

The SAT is a standardized test which is widely used for college admissions. The call is a sales pitch for a pricey SAT preparation package.

"The original price was $400, and he was going to give us a discount for $199," Paul-Pletzer told CBS4.

The call came at 8:30 p.m., which was one red flag. When Paul-Pletzer asked for more information there was none.

"He didn't want to give me his website, and I said 'What is your phone number?' And he didn't want to give me his phone number. But he wanted me to give him my credit card number," Paul-Pletzer explained.

It's a scam. Boulder Valley School District officials want to warn other parents that they may be targeted.

"Our families should absolutely know the Boulder High School employees or someone connected with the school would never be calling or asking for credit card information over the phone, " said Kevin Braney, principal at Boulder High School.

So if you get this call, the best thing to do is hang up.

- Written for the Web by CBS4 Special Projects Producer Libby Smith

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