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Con-artists, Frauds and Charlatans, Oh My!

© Shauna Zamarripa

With the 1998-1999 academic year fast approaching, I wanted to inform students and parents about some scholarship scamming occurring nationwide. I know it sounds ludicrous, but most good scams do. These individuals will take advantage of your lack of experience in applying for aid and will take advantage of your pocketbook as well. I'm going to provide you with some general characteristics shared by many con-artists running these scams so that if this does happen to you, you will be prepared. Keep in mind however, that these are only general characteristics, and some legitimate organizations will use the same tactics as non-legitimate organizations. If you notice similarities between what is listed here and someone you have been in contact with recently, proceed with extreme caution.

Some of the most popular scams are run by telephone and scholarship scamming is no exception. One clue to spotting a telephone scam is if you receive unsolicited phone calls offering you an award or scholarship. Most legitimate companies will only contact you in response to your request, not out of the blue. To go a step further, if you receive a phone call wherein you have never heard of a company, it is most likely a scam. Another clue to use is if the company offers to notify you by phone if they select you as the recipient of an award. Legitimate companies are run by paperwork, and this reflects in their notification processes as well. You may receive a congratulatory phone call from the organization, but a letter or certificate in the mail will follow this phone contact.

Another popular way to administrate scams is by mail. However, sometimes these can also be the easiest scams to pick out and avoid. One good clue for picking out a mail scam is if the correspondence you receive from the company has multiple typing and/or spelling errors. A very common spelling error in this example is "scholorship" as opposed to scholarship. This way the administrators of the scam could avoid prosecution though a legal loophole. Another good tip-off to a con is if the return address is a California or Florida address. There are an amazing number of scams originating out of these two states. The first reason for this is because they are great places to live, and, if you are a con-artist, you can probably afford it. The second reason, is that addresses in Florida and California can be purchased though many "opportunities" magazines. Another distinguishing characteristic that scams share is no return phone number on their correspondence. Most legitimate companies provide a telephone number for you to call in case of questions or comments. Furthermore, how many businesses do you know of that have an unlisted phone number? I am certainly not aware of one.

The copyright of the article Con-artists, Frauds and Charlatans, Oh My! in Financial Aid is owned by Shauna Zamarripa. Permission to republish Con-artists, Frauds and Charlatans, Oh My! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.