How to avoid scams as a student

Students are a favorite target for scammers — new to managing money, often looking for jobs and aid. The good news: almost every scam shares the same red flags. Learn them once and you can spot them every time. Here's how to stay safe.

Know the common student scams

Fake-check / overpayment scams — you're "overpaid," told to deposit a check and wire the difference back.
Fake job or internship offers that ask for fees, your bank login, or to buy gift cards.
Phishing emails and texts pretending to be your school, the IRS, or financial aid, plus scholarship "fees."

The universal red flags

Urgency and pressure — "act now or lose it." Real opportunities give you time.
Any request to pay money to get money, or to pay with a gift card or wire transfer.
Too-good-to-be-true offers and unsolicited "you won" messages you never entered.

Protect yourself

Never pay a fee for a scholarship, grant, or job — legitimate ones are always free.
Never deposit a check and send money back; the check bounces later and you owe it all.
Verify the source independently (look up the real number), and guard your SSN and bank details.

If you're targeted

Don't engage — stop responding and don't send money or information.
Report it to your school, your bank, and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
If you shared personal info, monitor your accounts and consider a credit freeze.

Pay-to-get-money is always a scam

The single most reliable rule: if something asks you to pay money to receive money, or to deposit a check and send part of it back, it's a scam — every time. Real scholarships, jobs, and aid never work that way. When in doubt, slow down and verify before you act.

Keep going: check a scholarship with the scam checker, learn banking basics, and get the financial aid basics.

How to avoid scams as a student

Know the common student scams

The universal red flags

Protect yourself

If you're targeted

Related guides · Pay for college

How to avoid scams as a student

Know the common student scams

The universal red flags

Protect yourself

If you're targeted