TL;DR: Students manage money independently for the first time and often act fast online. Never pay to receive a scholarship or job offer, verify landlords and listings independently before sending a deposit, and be skeptical of any job that involves handling or forwarding money.
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Students manage money independently for the first time and often act fast online.
Common Tactics Used
Fake scholarship and grant offers asking for an upfront fee, phony rental listings for off-campus housing, and job postings that ask new hires to deposit and forward checks are all frequent tactics.
How to Protect Against It
Never pay to receive a scholarship or job offer, verify landlords and listings independently before sending a deposit, and be skeptical of any job that involves handling or forwarding money.
What Family and Friends Can Do
Sudden secrecy about money, unusual withdrawals, or a new online relationship that stays undisclosed are all worth a calm, judgment-free conversation. The earlier a scam is caught, the more can usually be recovered.
If this looks similar to something else you've seen, it's worth reading Scams Targeting Content Creators and Influencers.
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see Scams Targeting Delivery Drivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they specifically targeted?
Students manage money independently for the first time and often act fast online.
What tactics do scammers use?
Fake scholarship and grant offers asking for an upfront fee, phony rental listings for off-campus housing, and job postings that ask new hires to deposit and forward checks are all frequent tactics.
How can they protect themselves?
Never pay to receive a scholarship or job offer, verify landlords and listings independently before sending a deposit, and be skeptical of any job that involves handling or forwarding money.
What should family or friends watch for?
Sudden secrecy about money or new online relationships, unusual withdrawals or wire transfers, and reluctance to discuss a new "opportunity" or contact in detail are all worth a gentle, non-judgmental conversation.
What should I do if I think this has already happened?
Stop all contact and payments immediately, report it to the appropriate authority, and contact the bank or payment provider involved to see what can be recovered.