Most of a student's life now runs through websites, apps and groups: applications, fee payments, scholarships, internships, exam registrations, study material and daily UPI payments. Each of these is also a way in for a scammer.
That also gives scammers more opportunities to approach them. An internship offer arrives on Instagram or LinkedIn. An email is made to look like a notice from the college office. A scholarship asks for a small processing fee before the money is released. Someone in a class WhatsApp group sells a laptop at a price that seems too good, takes the payment and goes quiet. Once one student's account is taken over, it gets used to message their friends.
The problem is becoming more widespread each year. Financial fraud complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal rose from about 2.6 lakh in 2021 to over 24 lakh in 2025, and Tamil Nadu is among the states with the most complaints. Very little of the money lost is ever recovered.
Why students are targeted
A typical student juggles a college email, a learning portal, scholarship sites, payment apps, social media and job platforms. Each one holds some personal detail. A scammer doesn't need bank access to start with. A name, phone number, college or register number is enough to make the next message sound believable.
Deadlines do the rest. "Applications close today", "pay the exam fee now" or "this offer expires in an hour" are all meant to cut out the time a person would otherwise spend checking.
Being comfortable with technology doesn't help as much as people think. A recent IIT Madras study of cyber fraud victims found that well-educated, tech-savvy people were still taken in, because fear and urgency stopped them from thinking clearly. Knowing how to use apps and knowing how to spot a scam are two different skills.
Fake internships and jobs
These work well on students because the first contact looks like a real opportunity. Then comes the catch: a registration or training fee, a "refundable" deposit, equipment to be bought from a particular seller, or a request for bank details.
Scammers also borrow trusted names. Maharashtra cyber police recently warned about a fake email offering an Indian Army internship with a large stipend, which led to a phishing link. The real programme is free and is applied for only through the AICTE National Internship Portal. IIT Roorkee, too, has publicly disowned an outfit selling "IIT internships" in its name.
A 2026 study of college students in Chennai found that social media was one of the main places they came across internship scams, which shows how much job hunting and social media now overlap.
Fake scholarships
The message promises a grant, scholarship or fee waiver, then asks for a processing fee, documents or bank details.
In September, a link promoting a "National Sports Scholarship 2026–27" spread through student WhatsApp groups. PIB Fact Check declared it fake. Central scholarships are applied for only through the National Scholarship Portal, never through forms shared in groups. The Tamil Nadu Police cybercrime wing has also warned the public about fake scholarship promises, along with fake lottery wins and instant loan apps.
A related risk comes at admission time. The UGC publishes a list of fake universities every year, and degrees from these institutions are not valid for jobs or higher studies. It is worth checking before paying any fees.
When the target is your bank account
Not every scam aims to take a student's money. Many now want the student's bank account, which is used to receive and move money stolen from other people. These are called mule accounts, and students are being recruited to provide them, sometimes for a "commission" and sometimes after being tricked.
Police across the country have arrested students in such cases. In Karnataka, men were arrested for persuading college students to open bank accounts with false promises of scholarship money. In Indore, four college students were arrested for letting a "digital arrest" gang use one of their accounts in return for a cut.
Never open an account for someone else, and never share your net banking login, debit card, SIM or UPI access. When stolen money lands in your account, it is your name the police will trace first.
Phishing and account theft
The message says your college account has expired, your storage is full, your exam registration is incomplete or your password needs resetting. The link leads to a fake login page that records whatever you type. Once a scammer has your email or social media account, they use it to send convincing messages to your classmates and friends.
Marketplace and ticket scams
Students buy and sell second-hand phones, laptops, textbooks, hostel items, event tickets and subscriptions online. The seller offers a low price, pushes for quick payment and disappears once the money is sent.
Reporting fraud
If you lose money, call the 1930 helpline or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in straight away. The system connects police, banks and payment companies so that money can be held before it moves further, and it has already helped save thousands of crores. The faster you report, the better the chance of getting money back. Chennai cyber crime officers have said the first hour matters most.
Watch out for a second scam after the first. Fake "cyber help desks" sometimes call victims and ask for money to "recover" what was lost. Use only 1930 and the official portal.
Suspicious calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages can be reported through the Chakshu facility on the government's Sanchar Saathi platform, even if no money has been lost. Doubtful scholarship or scheme messages can be forwarded to PIB Fact Check on WhatsApp at +91-8799711259.
What students can do
Contact the sender yourself, using phone numbers or emails from the official website.
Apply for internships through your placement cell or the AICTE portal, and for central scholarships only through scholarships.gov.in.
Check the web address. Government sites end in .gov.in or .nic.in.
Never share OTPs, PINs or passwords.
Don't pay to get an internship, a job or a scholarship.
Never lend your bank account, debit card, SIM or UPI to anyone.
Ignore the deadline in the message. It may not be real.
Use different passwords and turn on two-factor authentication.
Part of everyday student life
A 2025 Gen Digital guide similarly points to the amount of personal information students share online and their extensive use of digital platforms as factors that can expose them to scams and identity theft.
The rule worth remembering is to check before you act whenever money, passwords, bank accounts or personal details are involved. A few minutes spent verifying an offer is worth far more than the convenience of replying right away.
