Since so many people look around for college scholarships, many of them have become easy prey. Instead of helping them as they portray, some are nothing more than scams. They require a person to pay for the application or they attach a processing fee to it. You should never have to pay money to apply for money that is offered as a scholarship. If you find something like that in your search efforts you want to steer clear of it.

There are also companies that claim they will do all the searching for you. All you have to do is give them some basic information. Then they do all the leg work involved for you. This may sound like a worthwhile investment due to the amount of time it can take to find them on your own. However, such businesses are scams as well. They aren’t going to provide you with the information you need to apply for great college scholarships. If you want the financial benefits you are going to have to do the hard work on your own.

A common scam is sending out award letters that you have won a college scholarship. However, it will tell you that there are fees and taxes that have to be paid on it in advance. For those new to the award process, the prospect of getting a $5,000 scholarships when they pay the $500 in fees is worth it. When it never materializes though is when they realize they have been scammed out of that $500 they had.

There should never be a request for social security numbers or credit card numbers when you fill out college scholarship applications. These requests should also be viewed as red flags that you aren’t dealing with a reputable agency. You will find that most college scholarship scams are operated on the internet. Those behind them have less risk involved with being caught this way.

They often will use scholarship names that sound very close to real ones too. This way people are less likely to find out that they are a scam until it is too late. Most people that get scammed like this don’t tell anyone. They are too ashamed and too embarrassed that they fell for it. Yet it is important to realize these con artists are very intelligent. They prey on the emotions of those looking for money for school. They use it to their advantage and never feel bad about what they have done.

If you have never heard of a college scholarship before that doesn’t mean it is a scam. You should take your time though to explore more about it. How long has the entity that offers it been around? What are their goals and why do they offer money for schooling? If you can’t find such information then you should avoid giving them any information that could be compromising for you.

While most college scholarships offered out there are legitimate you do need to be careful. If you are asked for money, a credit card number, or a social security number don’t provide it. You will lose your money and you may be opening up the door for credit card fraud or identity theft to take place. Report any such findings about possible fraud to the proper authorities. The more that consumers are aware of them and report them the less they will be able to take advantage of innocent individuals that are only trying to find a way to pay for college.