College Student Scams: Scholarships, Housing, Jobs
College students lost an average of $2,186 to scams in 2025, according to the FTC — a figure that's devastating for someone living on financial aid and part-time job income. Students are targeted specifically because they're new to managing finances independently, desperate for income and savings, and active on the platforms where scammers operate. A CISA survey found that 43% of college students had encountered at least one scam attempt during the academic year.
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Scholarship Scams
With student loan debt averaging over $37,000, students are highly motivated to find scholarships — and scammers exploit this desperately.
The fee-based scholarship: "Congratulations! You've been selected for the National Merit Achievement Scholarship. To process your $5,000 award, submit the $75 application fee." Legitimate scholarships never charge application fees. The money to give to students is their entire purpose.
The guaranteed scholarship: Companies claiming they can "guarantee" you'll receive a scholarship in exchange for an upfront fee. No one can guarantee a scholarship — the selection process is competitive by nature.
The information harvest: Fake scholarship applications that collect your Social Security number, bank account details, and other personal information for identity theft. Legitimate scholarship applications ask for academic records and essays, not bank routing numbers.
"You've been pre-selected for the American Academic Excellence Award ($10,000). To finalize your application, provide your Social Security number and direct deposit information so we can disburse the funds."
Use free scholarship search tools like Fastweb, Scholarships.com, and your school's financial aid office. Never pay for scholarship searches or applications.
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Housing and Rental Scams
Off-campus housing demand creates perfect conditions for rental fraud:
The phantom listing: An apartment listed on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or student housing boards at below-market rent. The "landlord" can't show the property (they're "traveling" or "deployed") but will mail keys once the deposit is wired. The apartment either doesn't exist or belongs to someone else entirely.
The roommate deposit scam: You find a roommate online who asks for a security deposit before you move in. They disappear with the money. Always meet roommates in person and handle financial arrangements through official lease agreements.
The bait and switch: A listing shows a beautiful apartment. When you arrive, the landlord shows you a different, inferior unit and pressures you to sign a lease immediately because "demand is high." Walk away.
Always verify that the person listing a rental actually owns or manages the property. Visit the property in person. Use your university's off-campus housing office, which typically vets listings.
Job and Employment Scams
Students seeking part-time or remote work are prime targets:
The check cashing scam: You're hired as a "personal assistant" or "financial coordinator." Your employer sends you a check and asks you to deposit it, keep a portion as your pay, and forward the rest. The check bounces; you're out the forwarded amount.
The "equipment" scam: You're hired for a remote position and told to purchase equipment using a company check. Same result — the check is fraudulent.
The MLM disguised as a job: Recruitment pitches on campus for "marketing," "sales," or "entrepreneurship" positions that turn out to be multi-level marketing schemes requiring you to buy product inventory upfront.
IsThisAScam's 6-layer detection system can analyze job offer emails and messages, identifying the patterns that distinguish legitimate opportunities from recruitment scams.
Textbook Scams
With textbooks costing an average of $1,240 per year, students look for deals. Scammers exploit this by selling counterfeit textbooks (which may have missing content or incorrect information), collecting payment for textbooks that never ship, and creating fake "textbook buy-back" services that collect your books and never pay.
Tuition Payment Scams
Scammers impersonate university billing departments, sending emails that claim your tuition payment failed or that there's been a change in payment instructions. They direct you to a fake portal that captures your banking information. Always pay tuition through your university's official portal, accessed by typing the URL directly.
Social Media and Identity Scams
College students' active social media presence makes them vulnerable to:
- Instagram DM scams promoting "easy money" or "brand ambassador" opportunities
- Sugar daddy/sugar mama scams (see our Cash App scams guide)
- Fake event ticket sales before concerts and games
- Identity theft through oversharing on social media (dorm location, class schedule, birthday)
Protection Strategies for Students
- Use your university's official resources: housing office, career center, financial aid office
- Never pay upfront for job opportunities, scholarships, or apartments you haven't visited
- Verify employers through the Better Business Bureau and company website before accepting positions
- Use a .edu email for student services and a separate email for personal use
- Enable 2FA on all accounts (2FA guide)
- Be skeptical of unsolicited opportunities that find you, rather than ones you sought out
- Talk to your campus security office about current scams targeting students at your school
- Freeze your credit if you're not actively applying for credit cards or loans (credit freeze guide)
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