Scholarship scam targeting college students on the rise

JACKSON, Tenn. — A rising scam is targeting current and future college students.

Finding different ways to help pay for college is always a popular activity this time of year. Scammers are looking to take advantage of those individuals.

Toddnetta Trice, with the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, tells us what these scammers are doing.

“The scammer will pose as a financial aid representative, using words like national and federal to sound more official,” Trice said. “They claim you have won a scholarship or grant, without ever even applying, and ask for a payment.”

Generally it is free to apply for scholarships. Guaranteed scholarship offers should not be trusted. Asking questions can always be beneficial when trying to learn if an organization is legit. These are just a few tips in order to protect yourself.

“If you have that guidance counselor that is still available during the summer, you can call them up and see if there is any opportunities that you may have missed out on. Especially those that are going to college in a month or two,” Trice said.

If you have been scammed in this way, or suspect that you have found someone attempting to scam you, Trice lets us know what our next step should be.

“Report it to the Federal Trade cCommission. Ftc.gov. Let them know what happened. If it is a legitimate website and you came across an advertisement, or anything like that, try to report it to the legitimate website,” said Trice.

Trice also tells us that even if you receive a check from an organization, it can be detected as fake weeks later. This would make you responsible for the money if you have used any of it.

A recent student reported that a website was claiming to be a database of grants and scholarships. They required a membership to access these opportunities. However, the website provided no help at all.

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