Greg's Corner

Tagged: scholarship scam Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on August 6, 2025 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: college ( 18 ), college admission ( 3 ), rental scam ( 90 ), Scams ( 1,556 ), scholarship scam   

  Student Aid and Housing Scams Surge 

  

  By Greg Collier

  August marks the beginning of scholarship application season for many students, but it also signals an increase in scams targeting those seeking financial aid. Fraudulent offers often arrive through email, social media, or phone calls, claiming to represent government agencies, universities, or nonprofit organizations. In some cases, students are told they have been awarded a scholarship or grant they never applied for but must pay a processing or application fee before receiving the funds. These offers may use official-sounding names and professional-looking websites to appear legitimate. One recently reported case involved a website designed to mimic the official federal financial aid portal but that requested credit card information to complete an application. The official application process for federal student aid never requires payment.

  Similar schemes can be found in the housing market as students prepare for the fall semester. Rental scams are particularly common among younger renters and can be costly. Fraudulent listings often use copied photos and descriptions from legitimate advertisements, replacing the real contact information with that of the scammer. Victims are typically asked to send a deposit and the first month’s rent before seeing the property in person, sometimes with the explanation that the owner is out of town. In other cases, the property in question may actually be for sale rather than for rent. Payments are frequently requested through non-secure methods such as wire transfers or gift cards, which make recovery of lost funds nearly impossible.

  Both scholarship and rental scams exploit the urgency and financial pressure that students face at the start of the academic year. While the specific methods vary, the underlying strategy remains the same. Scammers create a false sense of opportunity, push for quick action, and request money in advance. Students can reduce their risk by taking time to verify any offers or listings through official channels, avoiding any that request payment before services are rendered, and seeking assistance from school guidance counselors or financial aid offices.

  Conducting a reverse image search on rental photos can help determine whether the images were taken from another listing, and running a web search on the rental property’s address can reveal conflicting or suspicious information. For scholarship opportunities, contacting the sponsoring organization directly and confirming details on its official website can help ensure that the offer is legitimate. Careful research and skepticism can make a significant difference in avoiding financial losses at a time when resources are already stretched thin.

   

  Leave a ReplyCancel reply
• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on August 13, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: back to school, check scam ( 82 ), college ( 18 ), credit card ( 9 ), job scam ( 89 ), locksmith scam ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,556 ), scholarship scam, school ( 3 )   

  It’s the season for Back to School scams 

  

  With September approaching and some schools having already started their school year it should come as no surprise that scammers will even use the back to school season to try to target potential victims. The largest targets among these victims will more than likely be college students. Considering that many of these students will be away from home for the first time, they may not have the real-world experience to recognize a scam. Hopefully, with this blog post they can be better educated on which scams to look out for that could potentially harm their college experience.

  The Better Business Bureau of Florida recently put out a list of the most common scams for students to look out for and we can’t help but recognize a few of them. For example, the BBB warns of phony job scams. In these scams, the perpetrator will use a phony email address that spoofs that of the university. The student will be promised a phony job where they will be sent a check that will be more than they were promised. Of course, the check is phony but by the time the student sends back the money their bank will charge them the full amount of the bogus check. Another common scam that targets college students is the phony scholarship scam. Phony companies will guarantee students grants or scholarships in exchange for a fee. Most scholarships and grants can only come from the government or the school so avoid these promises at all costs.

  While the above scams are largely illegal there are some legal scams to look out for as well. Many credit card companies will offer their cards to incoming students, however, many of them have either high annual fees or interest rates. It’s very easy to obtain one of these cards then find yourself in a world of debt that you weren’t prepared for. Then there’s the locksmith scam where a student may lock themselves out of their housing or car and they’ll call the first locksmith that comes up in a web search. Those locksmiths may not be local and may charge you an exorbitant fee. It’s better to research for a local locksmith before you lose your keys so you can have a reputable one readily available should the need arise.

  For a more comprehensive list from the BBB about these scams and others you can click this link.