College students are a prime target for scammers. They are often young and inexperienced, and they may be desperate for money. Scammers know this, and they use it to their advantage. One of our main goals is to help our students scam-proof their lives. This site will provide you with information on how to avoid falling victim to scams and shed light on the most common scams that you as a college student may encounter.
- Scholarship Scams: These scams often promise guaranteed scholarships or financial aid in exchange for upfront fees or personal information, ultimately leading to disappointment and financial loss for hopeful students.
- Financial Aid Scams: These scams may promise easy access to grants, loans, or scholarships, but in reality, they aim to extract personal and financial information from applicants. As a result, victims can face identity theft, financial loss, and shattered educational dreams.
- Employment scams: These scams often involve job postings that offer high pay for little work. They may ask you to send personal information, such as your Social Security number or bank account information, or they may ask you to pay a fee to process your application. If a job posting seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Student loan debt relief scams: These scams often involve promises to reduce or eliminate your student loan debt. They may charge you a fee to process your application, or they may ask you to provide personal information, such as your Social Security number or bank account information. If you’re considering student loan debt relief, be sure to do your research and only work with a reputable company.
- Facebook housing scams: The rise of online marketplaces has made apartment hunting incredibly convenient. However, there’s a catch – more scams are targeting unsuspecting individuals like you. Facebook Marketplace, in particular, has become a breeding ground for fraud, with fake landlords and property managers taking advantage of many students, causing them to lose their hard-earned money. Stay alert and cautious while navigating these platforms to protect yourself from falling victim to these scams
- Imposter scams: Imposter scams come in many varieties, but work the same way: a scammer pretends to be someone you trust to convince you to send them money. Learn how to spot an imposter scam.