Scholarship Fee and Fake Portal Scam by SMS

How it looks by SMS, the red flags and what to do.

On SMS the scammer has only a few lines to work with, so they use a deadline, a threat or a prize and a link that must be tapped "now". Scholarship Fee and Fake Portal Scam is one of the ways this shows up: 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.

What scholarship fee and fake portal scam looks like by SMS

• A sender name that resembles a bank, courier, tax or utility, or an ordinary mobile number.
• A very short message with a deadline such as "today" or "within 24 hours".
• A shortened or oddly spelled link that does not match the real website.

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.

Red flags to check on the text message

• 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 message asks for an OTP, PIN, card number or password.
• It threatens blocking, arrest, disconnection or a fine unless you act at once.

What to do

1. Do not pay or upload documents on the portal.
2. Ask the school or college office whether the scholarship is real.
3. Find scholarship information on the official government portal typed by hand.
4. Paste the text into a scam checker (Safeavio Sentinel can check it) before you do anything else.
5. Report the sender on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) and block the number.
6. Delete the message and tell family members who may get the same text.

You can report suspicious SMS and calls on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility) of the Department of Telecommunications.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 if any money was taken, giving the payee details.
2. Tell your bank through the number on your card if you shared bank details or an OTP.
3. File a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in with the message and portal address.
4. Keep watch for loans or accounts opened with the student's documents.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

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.

Full guide: Scholarship Fee and Fake Portal Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: WhatsApp, email.

Questions