Paying for college is costly, and unfortunately, so is falling for this scam.
And as schools go back in session, scammers prey on familys financial anxieties.
One of the top student scams the FCC says to be wary of?
All you have to do is complete your tool and pay a processing fee, Jabbara explained.
And sometimes it is about getting the money.
Sometimes its about stealing that sensitive data so that it can be monetized elsewhere.
Be wary of scholarships that ask you to pay fees before applying, too.
If its a scholarship that specifically requires a fee to submit it, dont do it, she said.
It also helps to understand what a scholarship typically will ask to know from applicants.
But its a big red flag if the scholarship wants your social security number.
Thats definitely a scam, she said.
you’re free to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commissiononlineor by calling 877-382-4357.
Double-check the track record of who is paying out the scholarship.
Create a separate email for the scholarship process.
It had well over 20,000 unread emails, because I was getting spammed daily from these companies.
Thats why she recommends creating an email address specifically for scholarships like jocelynscholarships@gmail.com.
Target scholarships that have a more thorough program process instead.
Applying for a legitimate scholarship takes time, but its worth it.
