$12.5B
FTC-reported fraud losses in 2024
FTC says consumers reported losing $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024.
international student scholarship scam
A fake scholarship targets international students with promises of full-tuition awards, requiring application fees and personal documents that are used for identity theft.
“scholarship fraud”
↑ 65.9%Key indicators
Usually targetsInternational students
Often hitsTech workers and developers
Common regionUnited States
Last updated2026-04-04
Estimated impact
$960
median reported loss
Typical range$60 – $6.0K
Recovery rate~15%
Scam breakdown
1
Scam scholarships are advertised on social media and forums frequented by international students looking to study abroad.
2
Applicants submit detailed personal documents including passport copies and financial information.
3
The collected documents are used for identity theft, visa fraud, or sold on dark web marketplaces.
What to do first
Verify scholarships through the university's official international student office — never through third-party websites alone.
Related terms
foreign student scholarship scamstudy abroad scholarship fraudinternational aid scamFake scholarship scamsWebsiteSurgingInternational studentsCollege studentsParentsTech workers and developersEducators and studentsParents and familiesUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaforeign student scholarship scamstudy abroad scholarship fraud
Real-world example
How this scam plays out in practice
Based on reported patterns. Names and details are illustrative.
The setup
Nicole, 20, a international students, encountered what appeared to be a legitimate fake scholarship scams situation while using Website. Scam scholarships are advertised on social media and forums frequented by international students looking to study abroad.
Step 2
What happened next was calculated: Applicants submit detailed personal documents including passport copies and financial information.
Step 3
The pressure escalated quickly: The collected documents are used for identity theft, visa fraud, or sold on dark web marketplaces.
The outcome
Nicole realized something was wrong when the scholarship offers full tuition to international students with minimal eligibility requirements. By that point, significant damage had already been done — money sent, personal information shared, or trust exploited.
The lesson
Verify scholarships through the university's official international student office — never through third-party websites alone. Nicole's experience shows why the scholarship offers full tuition to international students with minimal eligibility requirements and application requires copies of your passport, visa, and bank statements are the clearest early warning signs.
How to identify it
- The scholarship offers full tuition to international students with minimal eligibility requirements
- Application requires copies of your passport, visa, and bank statements
- The sponsoring organization cannot be verified through the university or government sources
- Pause before paying, clicking, or sharing information. Scammers rely on speed.
- Verify the sender, company, or agency using a phone number or website you already know is legitimate.
- Treat secrecy, urgency, and off-platform payment requests as strong scam signals.
What to do now
- ✓Verify scholarships through the university's official international student office — never through third-party websites alone.
- ✓Legitimate scholarships do not require passport copies or bank statements at the application stage.
- ✓Report suspicious scholarships to the university and to the FTC or equivalent authority in your country.
What to save before reporting
- ✓Save the message, profile, phone number, email, or URL that was used.
- ✓Keep payment confirmations, receipts, and account alerts before you dispute or delete anything.
- ✓Write down the timeline while the details are still fresh.
How big is this problem
You are not alone — this scam affects millions of people.
These numbers come from government agencies and official reports. If you have been affected, know that this is a widespread problem — not something that only happens to careless people.
FTC 2024 fraud losses
Imposters
Most common FTC fraud category in 2024
FTC says imposter scams remained the most commonly reported fraud category in 2024.
History and evolution
- This scam family tends to persist because the social-engineering pressure works even when the exact scripts, platforms, and payment methods change.
- The specific packaging evolves over time, but the core pattern usually stays the same: create urgency, control the channel, and push action before verification.
- The FBI has warned that international students are frequently targeted by scams exploiting their unfamiliarity with the U.S. financial aid system.
Recovery and follow-up
- ✓Save the messages, receipts, account alerts, and transaction details before you block or delete anything.
- ✓Report the scam through the official platform or government channel that best matches where it happened.
- ✓Verify scholarships through the university's official international student office — never through third-party websites alone.
- ✓Legitimate scholarships do not require passport copies or bank statements at the application stage.
- ✓Report suspicious scholarships to the university and to the FTC or equivalent authority in your country.
Why this pattern keeps working
Even when the story changes, most scams still use the same pressure pattern: urgency, authority, and a request to move money or data fast.
The FBI has warned that international students are frequently targeted by scams exploiting their unfamiliarity with the U.S. financial aid system.
FBI IC3 2024
Where to report it
If you have been targeted by this scam, reporting it helps authorities track the pattern and protect others. United States has dedicated agencies that handle fraud reports.
ReportFraud.gov
Federal Trade Commission
Central U.S. consumer fraud reporting portal.
File an IC3 complaint
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
FBI portal for internet-enabled crime reports.
Start identity theft recovery
IdentityTheft.gov
Official U.S. identity theft recovery plan builder.
Explore further
Understand the bigger picture
Who is most at risk
Who this scam targets
Primary targets
International students, College students, Parents
Geographic concentration
United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia
Primary channel
Website — Fake scholarship scams
Why this group is vulnerable
International students are particularly vulnerable because this scam exploits trust in familiar brands, authority figures, and time-sensitive decisions. The rapid increase in reports suggests that awareness among this demographic remains low.
Sources and methodology
How we verify this information
OpenScam tracks scam patterns using a combination of government consumer protection databases (FTC, IC3, Action Fraud), platform-specific fraud reports, and verified consumer complaint data. Each entry is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources before publication.
Severity ratings are based on financial impact potential, reversibility of damage, and volume of reports across multiple reporting channels. Trend velocity reflects the rate of change in report volume over the most recent 90-day window.
This page was last verified on 2026-04-04. Red flags, recovery steps, and reporting resources are reviewed quarterly against current agency guidance.
Evidence and indicators
- The FBI has warned that international students are frequently targeted by scams exploiting their unfamiliarity with the U.S. financial aid system.
Source notes
- FBI IC3 2024
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about international student scholarship scam
How does the international student scholarship scam work?+
Scam scholarships are advertised on social media and forums frequented by international students looking to study abroad. Applicants submit detailed personal documents including passport copies and financial information. The collected documents are used for identity theft, visa fraud, or sold on dark web marketplaces.
What are the warning signs of international student scholarship scam?+
The scholarship offers full tuition to international students with minimal eligibility requirements Application requires copies of your passport, visa, and bank statements The sponsoring organization cannot be verified through the university or government sources
What should I do if I encounter international student scholarship scam?+
Verify scholarships through the university's official international student office — never through third-party websites alone. Legitimate scholarships do not require passport copies or bank statements at the application stage. Report suspicious scholarships to the university and to the FTC or equivalent authority in your country.
Who is most at risk for international student scholarship scam?+
This scam primarily targets International students, College students, Parents. It is most commonly reported in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and typically appears on Website.
Is international student scholarship scam getting worse?+
international student scholarship scam is currently surging — reports are increasing rapidly. It has been reported across US, UK, CA, AU. Last updated 2026-04-04.
Related scams
Similar scams to watch out for
AI impersonation
↑ 34%AI voice clone family emergency scam
A caller sounds exactly like a family member in distress and pressures the victim to send money immediately before verifying the story.
What to do first
Hang up and call the family member back directly using a known number.
Targets
Parents
Seen in
U.S.
AI impersonation
↑ 34%AI school injury parent call scam
A caller with a child's cloned voice says there has been a school injury and demands immediate payment before the parent verifies the story.
What to do first
Call the school or student directly using a known number before taking any action.
Targets
Parents
Seen in
U.S.
AI impersonation
↑ 34%AI police bail demand scam
A victim hears a distressed relative followed by a fake officer who demands bail money through wire transfer or gift cards.
What to do first
Call the relative or local precinct directly using a public number.
Targets
Grandparents
Seen in
U.S.
Help someone avoid this scam.
Scammers succeed because people do not talk about it. If you or someone you know has been affected, there is no shame in it — it happens to millions of people every year. Share this page with friends and family so they know what to look for.
Relevant collections