How to spot an admissions scam
Fake acceptance letters and “scholarships” that ask for a deposit are common. This page lists what gives them away and what to do if you are unsure.
Eight signs a letter should not be trusted
They ask for money to a personal account
Universities usually take fees to their own account against an invoice. If you are asked to send money to a person's card, an e-wallet or a “manager”, stop.
A scholarship is “guaranteed”
You never applied for it, yet the letter says it is already yours. Or you are asked to pay to “secure” it.
The sender's address is slightly off
An extra letter in the university's name, a free mailbox instead of a university address, an unfamiliar domain. Compare the address with the university's official contacts, which you found yourself.
They press you with deadlines
“Reply today”, “the place will go”. Universities publish real admission deadlines in advance, so a letter with a last day tomorrow should make you cautious.
They ask for secret data
An SMS code, a password for your account, a photo of your bank card. None of this is needed for admission.
An offer you never applied for
You did not apply to this university or programme, but the letter already congratulates you on admission.
The letter has slips
Your name is misspelled, the programme is not named, the dates do not add up, there is no application number.
They promise a faster visa for money
The state decides on a visa, not an intermediary in a letter. You do not need to pay for “speeding it up”.
What to do if you doubt a letter
- 1
Do not pay and do not send documents
Until you are sure the letter is real, transfer nothing and send no passport scans.
- 2
Contact the university yourself
Do not reply to the letter or call the number in it. Find the admissions office contacts through a search and ask there.
- 3
Check it against your application
A genuine letter matches what you applied for: university, programme, dates. If it does not, that is a warning sign.
- 4
Show the letter to us
We will tell you which signs we see and what to do next.
If you have already sent money, call your bank right away and ask them to stop or dispute the transfer. Then write to us.
Got a letter you are not sure about?
Send it whole, with the sender's address. We will tell you what worries us. Only the university can confirm a letter for certain, so we will also show you how to ask it. If you are our client, we submit your applications ourselves, so it is easier to check the letter against what was sent.