International Student Scam & Safety Center

Check the official national regulator/education authority and recognised-institution databases before paying. A polished website, agent office or social-media page is not recognition evidence.

Verify the offer inside the institution’s official portal or by contacting the institution through contact details you independently obtain from its official site. Do not trust a PDF forwarded only by an agent.

Use the official provider or university website, verify the programme exists and be suspicious of fees or guarantees of selection. Legitimate competitive scholarships do not need a third party to “guarantee” approval.

Verify the agency relationship with the university where possible, ask for a written contract and fee breakdown, and keep direct access to your own applications and official emails.

No legitimate agent can guarantee a visa. Be cautious of forged-document offers, demands for payment to personal accounts, claims of secret visa shortcuts and refusal to show you the submitted application.

Pay tuition through the institution’s official payment channel or a provider named by the institution. Verify bank/account changes directly with the university before transferring money.

Be cautious when a landlord refuses verification/viewing, pressures immediate payment, asks for unusual transfer methods, or offers a price far below the local market.

Warning signs include upfront payment for a job, requests to move money, fake checks, pressure to share banking/identity details and roles that conflict with your work permission.

Government agencies publish their official payment/contact methods. Verify suspicious messages by independently visiting the authority website rather than clicking the message link.

Check the sender domain, do not open unexpected attachments, and reach the university through a bookmarked official portal when a message asks for passwords or payment.

Some legitimate programmes can have related application costs, but a person asking for money to guarantee a scholarship is a major warning sign. Verify the fee on the official provider page.

Using borrowed, fabricated or temporarily staged funds contrary to visa rules can lead to refusal and fraud consequences. Use genuine funds and accepted evidence.

Do not allow anyone to alter transcripts, employment letters, bank evidence or other application records. You can be responsible for false information submitted in your name.

If you use paid immigration help, check the destination’s official regulator/authorisation system and keep a copy of everything submitted.

Stop further payments, preserve messages/receipts, contact the real institution or immigration authority, notify the relevant bank/payment provider and use official fraud-reporting channels.