How to Spot and Avoid Scholarship Scams
Every year, students lose money to people who promise a scholarship, a seat or a quick approval. Real scholarships do not need an agent. Use these checks before you pay anyone or share anything.
Warning signs
- Someone asks for money to 'release', 'guarantee' or 'speed up' your scholarship.
- Someone asks for your OTP, your bank password, your card number or your PIN. A genuine scheme never needs these to give you money.
- The message arrives on WhatsApp, SMS or social media with a link, and the website address looks almost like an official one but is a little different.
- It promises a 100 percent scholarship, or says you won something you never applied for.
- You must pay an agent, a coaching centre or a 'registration partner' to apply.
- You are told to hurry because the offer will vanish today.
What a real application looks like
- It is on the official site of the government department, university or foundation. Central and state government sites usually end in gov.in or nic.in.
- Registration is free. On the National Scholarship Portal the One Time Registration is free, and the portal publishes any fee for help at a Common Service Centre.
- Exam fees, where there are any, are paid only on the official exam site or its payment page, and you get a receipt.
- Your money is paid into your own bank account, never into someone else's.
How to check an offer
- 1Find the scheme's name on an official site yourself, by searching, not by tapping the link you were sent.
- 2Compare the address of the page you are on with the official one, letter by letter.
- 3Check our listing: every scholarship here links to the official page and shows the date we last checked it.
- 4Ask your college office or a teacher before you pay anything.
If you have already paid or shared a code
- 1Call your bank at once and ask them to block the card or account, and change your passwords.
- 2Report it on the national cybercrime portal, cybercrime.gov.in, or call the cybercrime helpline 1930. The sooner you report, the better the chance of stopping the money.
- 3Keep screenshots of the messages, the website and the payment receipt.
- 4Tell your college and warn your friends, because the same message goes to many people.
Frequently asked questions
Can an agent get me a scholarship faster?
No. Scholarships are decided by the scheme's rules and its officers, not by agents. An agent can only help you fill a form, and you should never pay for a promise of approval.
Is it safe to share my Aadhaar number for a scholarship?
Only on the official portal of the scheme. The National Scholarship Portal uses Aadhaar for registration. Never send your Aadhaar, OTP or bank details to someone who contacted you first.
A website looks official. How can I be sure?
Look at the address in the bar. Government sites usually end in gov.in or nic.in, and a fake one often has extra words or a different ending. When in doubt, reach the scheme from our listing or from the department's own site.