scam type guide
FAFSA & scholarship scams.
fake financial aid. scholarship fees. student identity theft.
FAFSA and scholarship scams target students and parents during the financial aid process. Scammers offer fake scholarships, charge fees for free services, and steal personal information through fraudulent financial aid applications.
$100M+.
in fake scholarship scams annually
1 in 4.
of scholarship offers are scams
$5,000.
average financial aid scam loss
94.5%.
suss. detection rate
red flags to watch for.
if you see any of these, suss it out before responding.
guaranteed scholarship
No legitimate scholarship can guarantee you'll win. Guaranteed = scam.
application fee required
Legitimate scholarships never charge application fees. FAFSA is free.
pressure deadline
Act now or lose this scholarship! Real scholarships have reasonable deadlines.
requests SSN or bank info
Scholarship applications should never require your bank account or full SSN.
unsolicited scholarship offer
You can't win a scholarship you didn't apply for.
third-party FAFSA filing
Companies charging to file FAFSA — it's free at studentaid.gov.
real examples suss. catches.
paste messages like these into suss. for instant analysis.
“Congratulations! You've been selected for a $10,000 National Student Scholarship! To claim your award, pay the $99 processing fee and provide your Social Security number.”
HIGH RISK — fake scholarship scam
“We can file your FAFSA for you and guarantee maximum financial aid. Our service costs $299 but will save you thousands. Limited spots available!”
HIGH RISK — FAFSA filing fee scam
real victim stories.
anonymized cases from actual fafsa & scholarship scams reports.
A high school senior received a letter saying she won a $5,000 scholarship. She paid a $250 'processing fee' and provided her SSN. The scholarship didn't exist.
Legitimate scholarships never charge fees. Search through your school's financial aid office.
A parent paid $499 to a company promising to 'maximize FAFSA benefits.' They filed the same free form anyone can do at studentaid.gov.
FAFSA is free. Never pay anyone to file it for you.
check it now.
paste a suspicious message below for instant AI analysis.
how to protect yourself.
follow these tips and use suss. to verify anything suspicious.
FAFSA is always free at studentaid.gov — never pay someone to file it.
No legitimate scholarship requires an application fee.
You can't win a scholarship you never applied for.
Never share your SSN or bank info through a scholarship application.
Search scholarships through your school's financial aid office.
Report scholarship scams to the FTC and your school's financial aid office.
think you've seen a fafsa & scholarship scam?.
paste the message, email, or link into suss. for an instant AI-powered analysis. free, no signup needed.
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