Scam category
Student-targeted scams
Student-targeted scams exploit the financial vulnerability and inexperience of college and university students. Scammers offer fake campus jobs that require equipment purchases, sell textbooks they never deliver, send student loan phishing emails that mimic real servicers, and create fake tutor or study-group schemes. Students are often targeted through university email addresses and campus social media groups.
Category activity
“fake job scam”
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- A campus job offer pays unusually well and requires you to purchase equipment or software upfront.
- A student loan email asks you to verify your account through a link that does not go to your actual servicer.
- A textbook seller on social media insists on payment through peer-to-peer apps with no buyer protection.
Common searches
fake internship offer scam targeting students
Students receive unsolicited emails offering prestigious internships that require upfront fees for training materials, background checks, or equipment, but the internship does not exist.
Verify any internship offer by contacting the company's HR department directly through their official website.
College students
U.S.
student credit card trap scam
Predatory credit card offers target students with promises of easy approval and rewards, hiding high interest rates, annual fees, and terms designed to trap young borrowers in debt.
Research any credit card offer independently before applying — compare APR, fees, and terms on sites like NerdWallet or Bankrate.
College students
U.S.
textbook buyback scam targeting students
Fake textbook buyback services offer high prices for used textbooks, collect the books from students, and then never send payment or pay a fraction of the quoted price.
Sell textbooks through established platforms like Amazon, Chegg, or your campus bookstore that have buyer protections.
College students
U.S.
fake study abroad program scam
Fraudulent companies advertise study abroad programs that collect thousands in fees for housing, tuition, and visa assistance but provide no actual program or support upon arrival.
Only use study abroad programs vetted by your university's international programs office.
College students
U.S.
campus apartment deposit scam
Scammers list fake apartments near college campuses at below-market rates and collect security deposits and first-month rent from multiple students for properties they do not own.
Never send money for a rental you have not physically visited or verified through the property management company.
College students
U.S.
student ambassador MLM scam
Companies recruit college students as brand ambassadors in programs structured as multi-level marketing schemes, requiring purchases of inventory and recruitment of other students to earn money.
Research any brand ambassador opportunity on the FTC website and check if the company has been flagged as an MLM or pyramid scheme.
College students
U.S.
fake university email phishing scam
Phishing emails disguised as official university communications trick students into entering their login credentials on fake portals, giving attackers access to student accounts, financial aid, and personal data.
Never click login links in emails — navigate directly to your university's portal by typing the URL in your browser.
College students
U.S.
student bank account offer scam
Scammers offer students new bank accounts with large sign-up bonuses, then use the accounts as money mule conduits for laundering stolen funds, making the student criminally liable.
Never allow anyone else to use your bank account or open an account at someone else's request.
College students
U.S.
fake research assistant job scam
Students receive emails offering paid research assistant positions at their university that require purchasing supplies or software upfront with a fraudulent check that later bounces.
Verify any job offer by contacting the professor or department directly through your university's directory.
College students
U.S.
graduation ceremony ticket scam
Scammers sell fake extra graduation ceremony tickets to students and families through social media and third-party websites, taking payment for tickets that do not exist or are counterfeit.
Only obtain graduation tickets through your university's official ticketing system or registrar's office.
College students
U.S.
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