Rip-off 01: “The Small Price”
What’s the rip-off:
Scholarship group or donor requests that you just pay a small charge in alternate for a possibility to win large! Woohoo..wait, aren’t scholarships imagined to be free cash!?
Why it’s a rip-off:
Scholarships ARE free cash, which means you by no means must pay them again nor must you be spending cash to use to them.
How one can not be scammed:
By no means pay cash to use for a scholarship. Even when it’s “only a small charge”.
Rip-off 02: “Private Data”
What’s the rip-off:
Scholarship group or donor requests that you just ship in your bank card quantity, banking data, and/or your social safety quantity to use to their alternative.
Why it’s a rip-off:
Your social safety quantity ought to by no means be shared with an unknown/untrusted supply as this can be very personal data. Moreover, scholarships are free to use to so no cost data must be required for the applying.
How one can not be scammed:
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Don’t share delicate information (bank card numbers or banking) in your utility! By no means give your social to an unverified group.
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Apply your ABCs—All the time Be Cautious. Don’t freely enter personal data. Do your googles if you happen to’re not sure! (head to Rip-off #04 to learn to confirm a website/group)
What’s the exception:
Some older, extra established scholarship organizations would possibly nonetheless ask for social safety numbers of their utility. That is uncommon however ALWAYS confirm whether or not it’s an actual scholarship or not. A majority of these organizations would have a LONG historical past of awarding scholarship winners and they need to have numerous articles and knowledge that may validate that the group and scholarship are actual. All the time analysis!
Rip-off 03: “Too Good to be true”
What’s the rip-off:
Scholarship group or donor guarantees that you just’re assured their scholarship or they attain out and declare that you just’ve gained a scholarship you by no means utilized to
Why it’s a rip-off:
Nothing good in life comes that fast or simple. These are sometimes scams designed to get further data or cash out of you. They might declare to wish a small cost upfront to offer you a bigger sum of money or ask for personal data from you.
How one can not be scammed:
Don’t belief “assured” scholarships. Don’t settle for a scholarship from an unknown supply that you just by no means utilized to.
Rip-off 04: “Who’re you?”
What’s the rip-off:
A scholarship group or donor allegedly has a scholarship alternative however whenever you look them up you may’t confirm something about them
Why it’s a rip-off:
To keep away from being scammed, you need to by no means share data with an unverified supply. Verifying that scholarship alternative is actual is a vital step to ALWAYS keep protected
How one can not be scammed:
Confirm {that a} scholarship is coming from a legit group/enterprise/web site earlier than getting into.
ALWAYS analysis organizations by trying to find outdoors articles/media. You possibly can seek for “Is (insert title of group) a rip-off”, “(insert title of group rip-off”, or related search phrases to learn via varied articles/threads to see what individuals are saying about them.
It’s also possible to attain out to your counselors or lecturers which may be extra educated on scholarship alternatives.
Confirm {that a} social media account is actual earlier than following and/or sending or responding to DM’s.
Rip-off 05: “The Snakes”
However wait, there’s extra (sadly!) There are some sneaky ways folks use within the scholarship world that aren’t essentially scams however they’ll finesse you out of your time, cash, and sanity.
To study extra about methods to keep away from all varieties of scholarship scams and snakes: pop into the video beneath!
