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Protect Yourself from Scholarship Scams  
HOW TO 

Tags: education, college, scholarship, scams, signs, phrases, lines, warning

Unfortunately, in their efforts to pay the bills, many students are falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, these scams tend to require money up front. The FTC cautions students to look and listen for these tell-tale lines. Have you been taken for a ride. Warn others of the lines that worked on you.

	"The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
	"You can't get this information anywhere else."
	"I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
	"We'll do all the work."
	"The scholarship will cost some money."
	"You've been selected" by a "national foundation" to receive a scholarship - or "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered.
	Beware of anything called an "application fee", "processing fee", "origination fee", "guarantee fee", "default fee" or "insurance fee"; if it must be paid in advance, it's probably a scam.
	Brochures or ads that use a lot of hyperbole such as "free money", "win your fair share", "guaranteed", "first come, first served" and "everybody is eligible"
	Be wary of letters and postcards that talk about "recent additions to our file", "immediate confirmation" and "invitation number".
	If they call and ask you for personal information to "confirm your eligibility", "verify your identity" or as a "sign of good will", hang up immediately.
	Many scams misspell the word "scholarship" as "scholorship".

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