How Does Identity Theft Happen?
Criminals gain access to personal data such as names, Social Security numbers, and bank and credit card information. Using the stolen data, the criminal can fraudulently obtain credit cards; establish cellular phone accounts, and more.
Reduce Your Risk When Applying for Aid
• Apply for federal student financial aid by filling out the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
• After completing the FAFSA online, exit the application and close the browser; any cookies created during your session will be deleted automatically.
• Don’t tell anyone your Federal Student Financial Aid PIN, even if that person is helping you fill out the FAFSA.
• Review your federal student financial aid award documents and keep track of the amounts applied for and awarded.
• Never give personal information over the phone or Internet unless you made the contact. If you have questions about a solicitation or about your student loan account, call 1-800-4-FED-AID.
• Federal Student Financial Aid securely stores your information on the National Student Loan Data System. However, if you complete or even request a student loan application from a lender, you may be granting the lender permission to access your file. Before providing personal information to an organization, review its privacy policy.
• Shred receipts and documents with personal information if they are no longer needed.
• Immediately report all lost or stolen identification to the issuer and to the police, if appropriate.
Report Fraud and Identity Theft
Report Federal Student Financial Aid Fraud
A company charging for federal student financial aid advice is not committing fraud unless it does not deliver what it promises. For more information about federal student financial aid fraud or to report fraud, call the Federal Trade Commission toll free at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or go to www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams.
Report Identity Theft
If you suspect that your student information has been stolen, it is important to act quickly. These offices will help you determine what steps to take depending on your situation:
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Inspector General Hotline
1-800-MIS-USED (1-800-647-8733)
OR
Federal Trade Commission
1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
If you suspect your have information that has been stolen. Do not even hesitate to report it. It is your identity and no other person has a right to it. The only way we can stop this kind of abuse is to report it and fight for what is yours.
Federal student financial aid fraud has become common enough that, in 2000, the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act was passed. The Act states that more people should be aware of scholarship scams and asks the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to step up our awareness efforts. The FTC continues to prosecute fraudsters and has reprinted its Project Scholarship scam poster and bookmark. ED has updated its publications and this web page. We encourage you to display the poster and distribute the bookmark and our Save Your Money, Save Your Identity brochure to all students.
The text for the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 can be accessed online. You can also order copies of the Project Scholarship Scam Poster/or bookmark on line.
