Common Money Scams That Target Students

Scams targeting students are everywhere. They show up in your DMs, your email, on TikTok, on job sites, and in text messages. The people behind them are good at this — they do it all day, every day. If you got tricked once, you are not stupid. You are not in trouble. Most adults have been scammed too.

This article walks through the most common ones, in plain English, so you can spot them before they spot you.

What a scam actually is

A scam is when someone lies to you to take your money, your personal info, or your account. They might pretend to be a job, a friend, your school, a brand, or even a government agency. The goal is always the same: get something from you that you would never give them if you knew the truth.

The Federal Trade Commission is the U.S. government agency that tracks scams and warns people about new ones.

Scam #1: The fake job

A "company" messages you on Indeed, LinkedIn, Discord, or text. They offer a job that pays a lot for very little work. Sounds great. The catch:

• They ask you to "buy supplies" or "pay a training fee" first.
• Or they send you a check and ask you to deposit it, then send some of the money to someone else. The check is fake. You will lose the money.
• Or they ask for your bank login or Social Security number "for payroll."

Real jobs never charge you to start. They never ask for your bank password. They send your Social Security number request through a real form, after you actually start work.

Scam #2: The fake scholarship or grant

Someone says you "won" a scholarship you never applied for. To "claim it," you have to pay a fee or share your bank info. Real scholarships do not work this way. The Federal Trade Commission scholarship scam page lists the exact warning signs.

Scam #3: The fake school message

You get an email or text that looks like it's from your school: "Your account has been suspended. Click here to fix it." The link goes to a fake login page that steals your password. Always go to the school site directly — never click the link in a weird message.

Scam #4: The "your friend got hacked" message

A friend's Instagram or Snap account gets stolen. The scammer messages everyone in their contacts saying "hey can you do me a favor" or "click this link and vote for me." The link steals your account too. If a message feels weird, even from a friend, text or call them another way to check.

Scam #5: The romance scam

Someone you've never met in person starts dating you online. Things move fast. After a few weeks, they say they're stuck somewhere and need money. They might cry. They might guilt you. They are not real. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the FTC both have whole pages on this.

Scam #6: The crypto / "easy money" trap

Someone offers to "trade" your money and turn $100 into $5,000. Or they say they have an "investment opportunity" only for young people. This is always a scam. Real investing does not work that fast, and real investing is not promoted in DMs.

Scam #7: The fake government call

A scary voice on the phone says you owe taxes, or that your Social Security number is "frozen." They want a payment in gift cards or a wire transfer. The IRS, Social Security, and the police never call demanding gift cards. Hang up. Call a parent.

Red flags to remember

If a message has any of these, it's probably a scam:

• Urgent. "Pay now or your account closes today."
• Secret. "Don't tell anyone, this is just for you."
• Too good. "Make $5,000 a week from home."
• Weird payment. Gift cards, crypto, wire transfers, payment apps to strangers.
• Asking for passwords or your Social Security number.

What to do if it happens

If this happens to you, tell a trusted adult — you are not in trouble. Scammers count on you being too embarrassed to ask for help. The faster you tell someone, the easier it is to fix.

You can also report scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. It's free, it's fast, and it helps stop the same scam from hitting other people.

For more on scams, see our scam alerts hub.

Words to know

• Scam — a lie someone tells to take your money or info
• Phishing — a fake message designed to steal your password or info
• Identity theft — when someone steals your personal info to pretend to be you
• Wire transfer — a way to send money fast that is very hard to reverse

For more like this, see the Learn hub and the glossary.

If you're not sure about anything in this article, ask a trusted adult — that's what they're there for.