|
The Division of Financial Aid warns students to be wary of
scholarship search firms that charge a fee for their services.
The Federal Trade Commission has investigated numerous consumer
complaints in recent years about such firms and found fraudulent
activity. The Division of Financial Aid recommends the use
of free scholarship search services available at the your
local library and on the internet at www.fastweb.com. For more information, see the Scholarship Scams Tip Sheet released by FastWeb.
SCAM WARNING SIGNS
- You have to pay a fee
- Money-Back Guarantee
- Credit Card/Bank Account Information Required
- Offers Exclusive Information
COMMON SCAMS
- Phony scholarship-promises cash if you pay
a registration fee
- Phony scholarship matching service-pay a fee and
they guarantee you will win awards
- Phony educational loan-pay a fee and receive a
low interest rate
- Phony financial aid seminar-a high pressure, poorly
concealed sales pitch
- Phony grant-promises to replace loans with grant if you pay a processing fee
REPORTING SCAMS
- National Fraud Information Center (NFIC)
File an online complaint at www.fraud.org,
call their toll-free hotline at 1-800-876-7060, or write:
National Fraud Information Center
PO Box 65868
Washington, DC 20035
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
To report suspected fraud, visit www.ftc.gov
to use the online consumer complaint form, call 1-888-FTC-HELP
(1-202-382-4357), or write:
Federal Trade Commission
CRC - 240
600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20580
- State Attorney General's Office
File your complain with the Consumer Protection Division
in your state.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Report business fraud, or ask for information about a company.
Visit www.bbb.org (You
must have an address for the questionable organization to
file a complaint).
- US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
For complaints involving mail fraud, visit www.usps.com/postalinspectors.
To file an online complaint, call the Postal Crime Hotline
at 1-800-654-8896 or write:
United States Postal Service
Office of Inspector General
Attention: Hotline
1735 N. Lynn Street
Arlington, VA 22209-2020
|
