Fake school admission, fee or scholarship request
A message about school fees, admissions or a scholarship asks you to pay or share details through a link.
Community reports: 0
How it works
- Parents get an SMS or WhatsApp message that looks like it is from the school, about pending fees, admission, a scholarship or a new "fee portal".
- It carries the school's name or logo and a link or QR code to pay, or a form asking for bank, card or Aadhaar details.
- The money goes to the scammer, or the details are used to take money from your account, and the school has no record of it.
What it looks like
Example messages. Numbers and links are masked.
Dear Parent, your ward's term fee of Rs 18,500 is overdue. Pay today to avoid a late fine: school-fee-payment[.]in
Congratulations, your child is selected for a merit scholarship of Rs 25,000. Share your bank details and Aadhaar to receive it.
Red flags
- Fee link from an unknown number
- Late fine "if not paid today"
- Scholarship you never applied for
- Asks for OTP, card or Aadhaar details
- Payment to a personal UPI ID
The one question to ask
Have you checked with the school office directly, on the number in the school diary or the school's own app?
Already paid or shared details?
Call 1930 at once: in the first hour the money can often still be frozen before it moves on. Then call your bank on the number printed on your card, and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in with screenshots of every message and payment.
1930 · cybercrime.gov.in
Also seen as
- Fake admission "seat confirmation" fee
- Fake school bus or uniform payment link
- Scholarship form asking for a bank OTP