Students & Education
Loan-forgiveness fees, fake tuition bills, and scholarship scams.
'You're Owed a Tuition Refund' Phish
A message says you have a tuition or financial-aid refund waiting and links to a fake page that steals your student login and bank details.
Read the guide →Campus / Work-Study Fake-Check Job Scam
Students get emails (often to their school address, impersonating a professor) offering an easy campus job that uses a fake check to steal money — the overpayment scam aimed at students.
Read the guide →Diploma Mill / Fake University
A 'university' sells degrees or certificates for a fee with little or no real coursework, using fake accreditation — worthless credentials that can also get you in trouble.
Read the guide →FAFSA Copycat / 'Pay to Apply for Aid' Site
Copycat sites charge to help you file the FAFSA (which is free) and harvest your and your family's sensitive financial and identity data.
Read the guide →Fake Online Course / Certification Scam
A 'course,' bootcamp, or certification promises high-paying skills or guaranteed jobs, takes your money, and delivers little of value — or nothing.
Read the guide →Scholarship / Grant 'Processing Fee' Scam
A message says you've won a scholarship or grant you didn't apply for and must pay a processing, redemption, or disbursement fee — which is the scam.
Read the guide →Study-Abroad / Exchange-Program Deposit Scam
A fake study-abroad or exchange program collects deposits and fees for placements, housing, or visas that don't exist.
Read the guide →Tuition-Payment Portal Phishing
A fake 'bursar' or 'student accounts' message says your tuition payment failed or is overdue and links to a portal that steals your login and payment details.
Read the guide →
Not sure which one you’ve got?
Paste the message into ScamSplainand we’ll tell you what it looks like.