TL;DR: Applicants juggle fees and deadlines across many unfamiliar institutions. Verify fee waivers and admission decisions only through the school's official applicant portal, and never pay a third party to process an application.
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Applicants juggle fees and deadlines across many unfamiliar institutions.
Common Tactics Used
Fake application-fee waiver services charge for something schools offer free, and phishing emails impersonate admissions offices requesting personal or payment information to 'confirm' an offer.
How to Protect Against It
Verify fee waivers and admission decisions only through the school's official applicant portal, and never pay a third party to process an application.
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 Grieving Families (Death Notices).
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see Scams Targeting Homebuyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they specifically targeted?
Applicants juggle fees and deadlines across many unfamiliar institutions.
What tactics do scammers use?
Fake application-fee waiver services charge for something schools offer free, and phishing emails impersonate admissions offices requesting personal or payment information to 'confirm' an offer.
How can they protect themselves?
Verify fee waivers and admission decisions only through the school's official applicant portal, and never pay a third party to process an application.
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.