Scholarship Fee and Fake Portal Scam
Students and parents get messages about a big scholarship that needs a processing fee or bank details. The portal is fake and the money is gone.
A message tells a student they have been selected for a scholarship of Rs 50,000 and must register on a portal to receive it. The portal asks for Aadhaar, bank details and a small processing fee. Families who need help with education costs are hopeful and trusting. The scholarship does not exist, and the portal collects both a fee and enough personal details to be used later in other frauds.
How the scam works
The scammer buys lists of student contacts or scrapes names from public results and social posts. The message uses the name of a government scheme, a foundation or a big company's programme. It congratulates the student and gives a link and a reference number. Some come as emails with a certificate attached. All say the grant will be sent to the bank account after verification.
The pressure is the closing date. The portal asks for the student's and parent's Aadhaar, marksheets and bank account number, which feels necessary for a scholarship. Then it says a small fee covers processing or verification, perhaps Rs 150 or Rs 500. A helper on chat, calling themselves a coordinator, nudges you along. Hope for a large amount makes the small fee seem trivial.
The payoff is the fee, the documents and sometimes the bank access. A parent may also receive a call asking for an OTP to 'send the scholarship', which is used to take money out. The documents are reused to open accounts or apply for loans. No genuine scholarship asks for a fee to receive money, and genuine selections come through the school or the official portal.
An example of what you may see
Example message (invented): 'Congratulations! Student selected for national scholarship Rs 50,000. Register today on the portal, upload marksheet and Aadhaar, and pay Rs 299 processing fee. Last date tomorrow. Reply YES to confirm. Scholarship Cell.' A follow-up call asks the parent for an OTP 'to credit the amount'. Genuine scholarships never need an OTP to receive money, and never charge you to receive it. Pause, close the chat and check through an official route.
This example is written for illustration. Real messages change their wording, names and links all the time.
Red flags
- A scholarship arrives that you never applied for.
- A processing or verification fee is demanded.
- The portal asks for Aadhaar and bank details at once.
- A caller wants an OTP to credit the amount.
- The closing date is tomorrow.
- The sender gives only a link and no school or official reference.
What to do right now
- Do not pay or upload documents on the portal.
- Ask the school or college office whether the scholarship is real.
- Find scholarship information on the official government portal typed by hand.
- Never share an OTP to receive money.
- Report the message on Sanchar Saathi and cybercrime.gov.in.
If you already paid or shared a code
- Call 1930 if any money was taken, giving the payee details.
- Tell your bank through the number on your card if you shared bank details or an OTP.
- File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the message and portal address.
- Keep watch for loans or accounts opened with the student's documents.
National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930. Report online at cybercrime.gov.in. Do it fast: the sooner your bank is told, the better the chance that money can be held.
Where this scam shows up
Read how it looks on each channel:
How Safeavio helps
Safeavio Sentinel's scam check lets a parent or student paste the message and shows signals such as a prize never applied for, a fee to receive money and an OTP request. The link check helps you look at the portal address before opening it. A parent can set up the family so children get help from someone they trust. It cannot confirm whether a scholarship is real, so ask the school.
Check it before you tap or pay
Safeavio Sentinel is a made-in-India Android app: paste a message or link, or scan a QR code, and get a plain verdict with the reasons. It helps you spot a scam; it does not promise to stop every one.
Download for AndroidWhat the app does
Google Play listing: coming soon. Today the signed APK is on safeavio.com/download. Android 7.0 or later.
Questions people ask
Do genuine scholarships charge a processing fee?
Genuine schemes do not charge you a fee to receive money. If a portal wants a payment before the grant, or an OTP to credit it, treat it as a scam and check with the school or the official portal.
How do I check if a scholarship is real?
Ask your school or college, and look on the official government scholarship portal by typing its address yourself. Be careful with links in messages and with names that only sound official. Slow, careful checks beat quick replies every time.
Why do they ask for the parent's Aadhaar?
More identity details give scammers more to misuse. Share documents only on official portals reached by the address you typed, and only for a scholarship you have actually applied for. Take your time and check before acting.