Need
Money for College? Doesn't everybody?
Unfortunately, in their efforts to pay the bills, many students
and their families are falling prey to scholarship scams.
The FTC cautions students to look for tell
tale lines:
"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.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive
and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information
to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a
complaint or to get free
information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov
or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The
FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints
into
Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil
and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.