11.22.06
Scholarship Scammers – avoid them!
The St. Paul Pionner Press has a great article on scholarship scams that you all should read. I’m copying it below. I’d recommend visiting StudentScholarshipSearch.com for some great leads – and it’s completely free! Also, you can download the third edition of their eBook free in PDF format, Student Scholarship Secrets. It’s jam-packed with lots of tools and hints for how to track down scholarships.
“Scammers line path to college cash. Why pay for scholarship info — it’s plentiful and free
BY MARNI GINTHER
With tuition costs rising, the scholarship hunt has become as ingrained in the college experience as midnight studies over a hearty bowl of Ramen noodles. But as students and parents search for scholarship money, they can end up getting scammed out of their own cash.
That’s why St. Thomas University biology sophomore Michael Blissenbach thought twice about the letter he got in September from a company called USA Scholarship Services. It said he’d been selected to apply for up to $7,500 worth of scholarships “designed specifically for students majoring in biology.”
For $25, the company seems to offer customized scholarships, with a hint that the information can’t be found elsewhere.
So he sent in the money and agreed to let the Watchdog know what happened. In the meantime, she investigated further.
The company had no Web site, and it was difficult to get a real person on the phone. A Google search turned up a warning on the admissions office Web site for Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, cautioning students about USA Scholarship Services and advising them to call the Better Business Bureau.
The Better Business Bureau in Washington, D.C., where the company is located, listed USA Scholarship Services as having an unsatisfactory record. The bureau still has unresolved complaints on file regarding the company, said Edward Johnson, the bureau’s president and CEO. He noted the bureau has received 983 inquiries about the company in the past 12 months.
“We have concerns over their business practices,” Johnson said. “Primarily the advertising.”
College students or their parents typically receive an unsolicited letter indicating the company has specialized scholarship information for certain fields of study. But what arrives in the mail is nothing more than information the student could have found free on the Internet or from a school guidance counselor.
“There are a lot of red flags going up here,” said Barb Grieman, vice president of the local Better Business Bureau. That the company required payment for scholarship information, lacked a Web site and rarely had some available to speak to were warning signs that the company could be a scam, she said.
For Blissenbach, those warning signs proved true. A few weeks after he sent in his application and money, he received an envelope with 24 incomplete, photocopied scholarship offers, many with out-of-date information. Sixteen of them had nothing to do with biology.
Ike Onwo, the company’s owner, said it was Blissenbach’s fault for not reading the letter carefully.
“If you don’t like the services we offer, don’t fill out the application,” he said. “Whoever sent you this letter is just ignorant.” He insisted the original letter that goes out to students urges them to call for their money back if they’re unsatisfied with what they receive.
But the letter states only that you may get your money back if you “fail to qualify” for at least $1,000 in scholarships, and you have to send in proof that you applied for the scholarships and were denied.
Onwo also maintained this scholarship information couldn’t be found anywhere else.
Blissenbach disagrees.
“It was just a stack of photocopied information that looked like it was old — like it was written on a typewriter,” Blissenbach said. He added that he could have gotten better information through his school or from online databases at no charge.
Experts say that’s exactly what you should do.
Financial aid advisers can’t stress it enough — you shouldn’t have to pay for information on scholarships.
“Remember, the whole idea for a scholarship is that you don’t have the money, and you need to find it,” said Carrie Dieveney, who helps Century College students find financial aid.
Advisers at big universities and small community colleges alike said most of the scholarship information students need is available through their college or on the Internet. Any financial aid office could have found more accurate and complete information for Blissenbach, said Dianne Danov, associate director of the University of Minnesota’s Office of Student Finance, when she was shown what he got from USA Scholarship.
As for the company’s promise to find scholarships specific to his major, she said that’s something colleges can do, too.
Talk with an adviser or go to the school’s financial aid Web site, she says.
“Financial aid advisers are here to help students find a way to pay for college,” Danov said. “It’s our job.” “
jB said,
May 10, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Yes … you are exactly right … I just got mail from a so-called “USA Scholarship Services” …I knew it had to be a scam… what kind of mail is label “Scholarships for Biology Students?” I called the numbered to ask for the web address…….and you won’t beleive this. Some polite female answered the phone .. it was a recording. THE ANSWER WAS ALMOST LIKE A RESIDENT NUMBER. “Thank you for calling USA Scholarship Services, No one is able to answer your call at the present time. could you please4 leave a message after the tone. BEEP!” What was that……. what kind of organization has an answering machine at the initiation of a call. I didn’t even get a directory listing…… These scammer need to do better than that if they want me to even think about giving away my money!!! HAHAHA!
Thank you for reading this!
Dorothy Bell said,
July 31, 2007 at 6:45 pm
I think you have a point here. My son sent information to this USA Scholarship Services. I sent in a check and did not here from these people for a couple of months. I tried calling. I was unable to speak to someone on the phone; however, A person by the name of John called and left a message on my answering machine. This John left a number where I could contact him; however, when I called, it would always be his answering machine. A letter was mailed to me with a money order check for $25.00.
The letter stated,” Enclose fund your refund. Thu program is designed for students already in college and not in high school. Sincerely yours, Ike Onwo, Director of Scholarship Services. It was all written in bad hand writting.
I am so glad that I decided to go on the internet and here others have concerns about this scam. I am planning on doing more investigation concern this USA Scholarship Services.
Raycheal said,
May 1, 2009 at 11:47 am
This has been so helpful to me, i had just finished filling out the application for the scholarship and decided to look up if “USA Scholarship Services” was creditable or not. I knew it was too good to be true, ya’ll saved me 27$ Now that i know its a scam. Thank you.
Marcia Dorsey said,
May 4, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I just received this in the mail as well. I am in need of scholarships, so I thought, HEY this is great. I thought it was akward to ask for money, but what the hell…I was going to fill out the application, but then it occurred to me i NEVER heard of this company before, so I decided to research it and ended up here. Thank you for putting this on the website. Now we need to report them!!
Marcia Dorsey said,
May 4, 2009 at 3:39 pm
also, i would like to add, that they changed it to nursing student…so far i’ve read they are for biology majors, computers, and other things! HA! WOW!
Tamekia said,
July 9, 2009 at 9:34 am
Thanks so much, for all of your comments and this webpage. I recently was sent a letter from the USA scholarship services. When I first opened it I was so exicted, and a little skiptal. I was wondering how they knew what my major was and how they got my information. All I know is that I had been looking for different kinds of scholarships. I actually called my counselor so that he can help me fill it out. I filled out some of the application, wrote a check and waited until, I saw him. He was not in his office. I am so happy he wasn’t, because if he was, I would have probably sent it out! What a relief I have now. I just happened to not be busy at work and decided to look up this place. In the back of my mind, I had always figured why would you have to pay to process your application. Thanks again to all of you.
moniqueleonard said,
August 1, 2007 at 7:36 am
Dorothy, you’re right on the mark. If someone asks for money to research scholarships for you, run the other way as fast as you can!!
Use free research tools such as StudentScholarshipSearch.com or free scholarship sites like ScholarshipPoints.com – NEVER pay money!
Nikia said,
September 8, 2009 at 10:06 am
Wow! I just filled out the application and enclosed a checked for $27 when something said to go online and check this place out. I thought it was weird to send money to “find out” about scholarships. Its really sad that people try to take advantage of college kids like that.USA SCHOLARSHIP IS A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING
Virginia said,
September 21, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I recieved the same letter today, except for Nursing Student. I thought about well its only $27.00, then I thought I would look it up. I came across many websites saying the company was a fraud. I looked up the phone number on white pages reverse look up and it comes up an unlisted number. I found this website very helpful. Sometimes I wonder if the schools, give out your personal information to companies like this, or if they sell your information in a database.
Ashlee said,
September 22, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I received this letter about three days ago with the nursing lable also!! im happy I looked this place up. I would have not been happy losing my $27. After all i’m an unemployed student.
Chris said,
August 4, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I recieved a letter the past few days from the same USA Scholarship service and it stated the very same things except it was for Computer Science majors. I’m am very gratefull I found this site.
moniqueleonard said,
August 6, 2007 at 7:15 am
Glad we could help, Chris. DON’T pay money for scholarships – I can’t stress that enough. After all, scholarships are in essence free money for tuition!
Olga said,
August 6, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Hey i just sent back my application and a money order of $25 but since i am reading this i am really starting to think that this is all scam what should i do to get my money back, i dont think my letter hasnt arrived yet
Donald Lyons said,
August 17, 2007 at 8:39 am
My daughter received solicitation from USA Scholarship Services. This is a scam directed at computer science students. Don’t bother with BBB. Take letter to local postmaster for referral to Postal Inspection Service for mail fraud investigation. Never pay for scholarship info.
Becca Weller said,
August 17, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Hey, I got the same letter – except directed at engineering students. Thanks so much for having this site up; it really helped! It sounded pretty convincing on first read, esp when you could use a bit of money. Thanks again for letting me know it was a scam!
Aja Davis said,
August 17, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I’m so glad I looked into this before sending them money. My husband knew it was a scam, who would ask for money to give you a scholarship? Crazy but some people fall for it the that upsets me is how did they know I’m a student studying Computer Science? Makes you wonder.
Eugene said,
August 19, 2007 at 8:58 pm
I thank God for finding this WebSite. I’ve recently received a letter from the same USA Scholarship Services. They want me to send them a check of $25 and, as they put it, I may qualify for up to $7,500 in scholarships. However, there’s one thing that alerted me. How come they did not include any contact information in the letter? What kind of company should it be which doesn’t even have a Website? I knew it was a scam right from the beginning. Thank you all for proving it to me once again!!!
Sharon Munson said,
August 21, 2007 at 10:35 am
I thought this might be a scam as soon as I read “send money” and “may” get your money back . . .this letter was sent to my son and thank goodness I checked it out first. Thanks for the website heads up on this one. The circuits were busy the first time I tried to call directly, the second time I got a recording . . . never a good thing!
Angie said,
August 21, 2007 at 5:17 pm
I have the same exact letter like everyone else from USA Scholarship Services for Computer Science major and a $25 processing fee. I did have a feeling that this was some sort of a scam. I mean, what scholarship ask for money? and they have no website. Thank you so much for having this webpage concerning this USA Scholarship scam.
Frankie said,
August 24, 2007 at 3:43 pm
We got the same message today I my house, this time directed to “nursing students”. The fee seemed odd, and the fact that they had no website, and the application seemed cheesey led me to doubt it. Glad we found this site before we wasted any money.
Thanks for the tips!
Katie said,
September 2, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Thank you so much for this site. I got the same letter for engineering students. I googled USA looking for a scholarship website, and this was the closest thing that came up. Thanks for keeping us informed!
deanna said,
September 6, 2007 at 1:11 am
I was so close to sending in the application myself. I am so glad my husband told me to research it first. I am more bothered by the fact that all my personal information was going to some shady people who plan to do who knows what with it. Thanks for the heads up!!!!
Avoid Scholarship Scammers - Part 2 « Student Loan Info for Parents said,
September 13, 2007 at 9:59 am
[...] in Scholarships at 9:53 am by moniqueleonard My first article on scholarship scammers was quite popular, so I’m following up with another [...]
Avoid Scholarship Scammers - Part 2 | Student Loan Information said,
September 13, 2007 at 10:07 am
[...] first commentary on scholarship scammers was quite popular, so I’m following up with another [...]
Celest said,
October 1, 2007 at 2:53 pm
I just received one of these letters today . Thank you all for writing. This is another Nigerian scam. The Director is Ike Onwo…a Nigerian. Why can he not go get a better job? Shame to you and your colaborators Mr Ike Onwo. I will take this to my local post office to report mail fraud.
moniqueleonard said,
October 1, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Good for you, Celest!
I wish every person who got one of these would take the time to do some research. There used to be a store in my area whose slogan was “An educated consumer is our best customer,” and I firmly believe that is true of student loans, scholarships and all the rigmarole that accompanies funding a college education.
Tria L. said,
October 3, 2007 at 11:04 pm
My mom called me and said make sure it’s real before i mail them 25 dollars. Thank God i found this site. I knew it couldn’t be to real because the 2007-2008 school year is pretty much over. who the hell is ike onwo anyay?
moniqueleonard said,
October 4, 2007 at 9:14 am
My kudos to you mom – always check things out before sending in your money!
mika said,
November 19, 2007 at 4:00 am
i received 100,000usd form usa scholarship
please send ur money u never know
the guy is doing a good job
many people receive scholarship already
you could be next
ike onwo is great
i know this guy
he goes to church every sunday and he will even give his own money for scholarship
moniqueleonard said,
November 19, 2007 at 7:24 am
No offense, Mika, but your comment hasn’t changed my opinion. Everything he send to students is freely available in the public domain – which means students can get that information for FREE. His terms and conditions are also very dubious. As for going to church every Sunday, that is not a litmus test.
mika said,
November 21, 2007 at 7:15 am
helo
i beg to differ
just because something is free does not mean you dont pay for it
is water not free, cant you go to the ocean and get free water but when somebody take the trouble to procees it you pay for it
everything in this world is free but when people add value to it ,then you pay for it
yes its free on the internet but if ike onwo takes the time to do the research work for you compile the information and send them to you ,why should you not pay for it
all the information on google is free but why are the owners of goggle billionares — cos they added value to the so called free information
nothing is free babe, afterall micheal jacson pays for oxygen which me and you know is free
mika said,
November 21, 2007 at 7:17 am
nothing is free in thsi world
moniqueleonard said,
November 21, 2007 at 7:21 am
I still highly recommend that people NEVER pay for scholarship information. People trying to pay for college are deperately looking for ways to help them come up with the money. Paying someone else a fee to do something they can do themselves doesn’t strike me as fiscally responsible. Plus, there are MANY scams out there that simply take your money and run, and give you nothing in return.
mika said,
November 21, 2007 at 7:21 am
everything in this world is free until somebody add value to it
water is free but why do you pay for it —- cos somebody added value to it
if ike onwo add value to the info you get ,then why cant you pay for it
afterall everything on google is free but those guys are billionare—- why
oxygen is free but micheal jacson pays for it –why
mika said,
November 22, 2007 at 9:56 am
your arguement just dont stand
because there are many scams is not a reason not to pay for scholarship info
because there are too many aids does not mean people should not have sex
the problem we have in america is that some people have taken it on themself to tell other people what do you
you just dont advice people to pay for college because this and that
comon, pls let freedom ring
elifaz said,
November 26, 2007 at 4:12 pm
I’m from Puerto Rico and still i recived this scam. thank God the frist thing i did was Google the company..
got the USA scholarship services..for biology students…
first thing that was kin of odd was the fact that the address was a suite..
second..no website.
third it asked for no income amount…
4rth the 27 dollars…
ugh! i really need a scholarship.. but this is a crappy scam.
Judy said,
February 18, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Got a letter from USA Scholarship Services for my daughter for the “Nursing Program” wanting $27.00 to process. Told my husband I thought it was a scam and decided to check it out and of course this is where I ended up. Thanks for making the scam known (even though I would not have reponded). Sounds like Mika might be our friend Ike Onwo. Seems stange that only one person has something good to say about this.
Crystal said,
February 20, 2008 at 5:48 pm
This is really a scam
Crystal said,
February 20, 2008 at 5:55 pm
About two days ago my mother had call me sayingf that I had recieved a letter from this same company.I was’nt surprise abourt it. She said that it read that I was approve to apply for the scholarship with a charge of $28 for the applicatioon fee. Before I accepted the offer I wanted to do more research on it and found your website. I’m very happy I found this website because that would be a waste for me and my money.
Erin said,
February 24, 2008 at 4:52 pm
My son received the same letter asking for now $27.00 processing fee for assistance to about 250 Nursing students. I thought this was to good to be true. I am glad I Googled it and found your site.
Marlowe_NOTTT said,
February 26, 2008 at 5:31 pm
they didnt even get my name right
Marlowe is my middle name and they cant even get thmy first name right
had the wrong address to this thing got forwarded from my old adress
MAJOR SCAM
makes me tempted to send the letter and have some hate mail in it
and come on Mika cant even spell half of what you wrote right
JO said,
April 3, 2008 at 11:49 am
I JUST RECEIVED ONE OF THOSE LETTERS FROM USA SCHOLARSHIP SERVICES. I, TOO, THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT THEY KNEW I WAS A NURSING STUDENT AND THAT THERE WAS A FEE ATTACHED. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE STILL TRYING THIS SCAM. I TRIED GOOGLING USA SCHOLARSHIP SERVICES BUT ENDED UP FINDING NOTHING SPECIFIC TO THEM AND WHEN I GOOGLED THE ‘DIRECTOR’, IKE ONWO I FOUND YOUR SITE – THANKS FOR SAVING ME A LOT OF UNNEEDED AGGRAVATION!!
Lisa said,
April 6, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Gosh!!!! I wish I found this web site earlier…. stupiod me, I fell for the scam.. I should have knew better that this was too good to be true.. I called the USA Scholar Services and got nothing but an answer machine.. I left a message and I actually got a call back from Ike Onwo. I asked him over the phone if this was some kind of agency scholarship services where my application will just be mailed out to other agencies and Ike told me “no” and that the USA schcolarship serv. is a scholarship itself and students can qualify for if eligible. Therefore, I sent $28 in for the application to be proccessed and recieved another application to some other company that is some what offering scholarship and some other paper with a list of companies that contain no deadline dates for the scholarship they offer… This is diffinetly not fair and Ike should stop… the scholarship listing he sent me, was just a bunch of google search…I can do the search myself on google for free, so to all the parents and students that get this so call USA SCHOLARSHIP SERVICES application CRAPPPPP, DON’T FALL FOR IT..IT’S ONLY A SCAM TO GET YOUR MONEY…..I’ve experienced it myself and this is not anything I would recommend for anyone to do unless you really have $28 dollars to lose or give away for free to MR. IKE ONWO!!!!…
tolani said,
April 11, 2008 at 7:20 am
the amount on the letter reads $27 now……..bunch of freaking scammers
Shay said,
April 22, 2008 at 7:19 am
I was wondering about USA Scholarships Services!! Just like everyone else has stated who would ask for money to even process an application for a scholarship which was $27.00. By the way, my offer was for nursing. I AM GLAD I FOUND THIS WEBSITE, SO I WON’T WASTE MY MONEY!!! IT SOUNDS LIKE A SCAM!!!!
habtamu Fekadu said,
June 7, 2008 at 8:22 am
I want to ph.d Physics
Matt said,
June 14, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I just got one of these letters today directed at engineering students. I immediately thought it was odd that the letter was so poorly mailed; the stamp was upside down and the envelope was sealed with part of the letter sticking out as if it had just been shoved in there. Thanks to everyone who posted comments on this site. I probably would have fallen for the scam if I had not come here first.
Also, to mika, judging by your language skills I find it highly unlikely that you would qualify for a $100,000 scholarship. Your attempts to “support” this Ike Onwo, who you claim to know, are just making the scam that much easier to see. So, if I may ask, what is your cut of the money that Mr. Onwo is conning out of people who are actually trying to do something worthwhile with their lives?
Zoey said,
June 16, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Im really glad I was on the internet when I received this letter. My mom just got home and showed it to me, and of course I was surprised at the state of the letter and the ‘application’ they sent with it. Im from Puerto Rico and a Biology student, and I thought it was maybe one of those scholarships aimed at minorities…but the fact that they knew what I was studying (without me requesting any information) and the $27 fee struck me as strange. So as soon as I googled the ‘company’ I found this page…and Thank God. I already have to work to pay for a biomed major…throwing $30 of my well-earned money down the drain wouldve hurt. So again, thank you.
Jim said,
June 17, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I got one today, read it and decided that it was bull sh** because they wanted me to pay $27 so they could find me the same scholarship information I could find online or through my school. Although, I will pay for a stamp to send back their letter with a note saying F*** OFF!
Marlene said,
May 15, 2009 at 11:19 am
hell yeah!!!
Marshall Stokes said,
July 7, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Hey,i’ve received the exact same letter from USA Scholarship Services.I went a step further,i’ve went to Yellow pages.com and looked the address,city and state up.Guess what? No such address,i’ve even called a another legit scholarship service in the same state and they also told me “never pay for scholarships”.They come a Dime a Dozen.
Marshall Stokes said,
July 7, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Hey,i’m back….LOL……this chick/dude MIKA need to get a clue.While you’re at it,take some English classes
nikki said,
July 15, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I just got a letter today in the mail, I called and asked for the website, and they gave it to me but it does not exist, when I called back they said the office was closed. I just got finish reading all of the comments and now I am glad that I researched it further before sending my money. Its a shame that people do things of this nature.
Sandy Johnson said,
July 22, 2008 at 11:55 am
We just got a letter from USA Scholarship Services for my daughter, claiming that she is eligible for scholarship money as an engineering student. What struck me about the letter was the fact that the signature of this man, Ike Onwo, was an ORIGINAL signature. This lent a bit of authenticity to the letter. I even commented to my daughter that the signature was an original signature…..must be legitimate if they are actually signing each letter. Still, something just didn’t seem right. No website-no request for income–using a live “postage stamp” instead of metered mail. The stationary he is using has no information in the footer or in the left hand margin where other companies might reflect satellite offices or endorsements from CEO’s of other companies lending support and promotion of the services provided. Put them all together and this picture smells. I asked my daughter to check it out on the web before we send them money, just to be sure. And boy am I glad she did! Thank you for your website! With two in college, we have to watch what we spend and every little bit helps. And as for Mr. Onwo: Stop preying on the youth of our country. They have it hard enough without the likes of you!
Mark said,
July 28, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Hi folks,
I just got this same letter over the weekend. USA Scholarship Services tried to offer me the same deal, but only customized my letter as a “Scholarship Program for Computer Students”. I did some investigating on my own and found your site. It is a shame that people like Mr. Onwo would pray on our youth and try to take advantage of them during these tough economic times. His business practices are unethical and it needs to stop. I’ve already filed a complaint with both the FTC and BBB. If anyone receives this letter from this company, DO NOT SEND any money!!! You are better off applying for financial aid using the resources from your local college at no cost to you. I can use the $27 to fill up my Corolla with gas instead of wasting it on this crap.
Ed said,
September 9, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Beware of ANY mailing or Phone call which originates in Washington DC and sounds like a governmental address THAT SOLICITS MONEY FOR UNDEFINED SERVICES!!!
If you hold the back of the letter very close to your nose, you can smell a scam.
Kynedi said,
September 11, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Wow!!! I am so glad I told my mom to let me research this Scholarship Service before we sent money in. I always asked myself why do you have to pay for scholarship info? People like that should have to pay for being so dishonest. Thanks everybody for your comments!
Dana said,
September 19, 2008 at 3:33 pm
How ironic that during this time of recovery here in southeast TX from hurricane IKE that we receive information looking like a questionable “service” signed by IKE! I came online myself to see if the service could be found and saw this sight.
SHAME ON IKE—2x!!!
Muhammad Farooq said,
September 19, 2008 at 4:46 pm
oh shit man i just send the letter back and i already have send the check too. I want to know that if there could be some other problem because now they have my bank account no. and adress. i am wondered.
Tiara said,
September 30, 2008 at 10:20 am
My case was a bit more convincing. I was mailed the letter while I was doing an internship at the University of South Alabama, aka USA. I thought that the scholarship was through the university, not a company. I wander if that was just a coincidence? However, the way they handled things after I sent my application led me to believe that it was a scam. I don’t care about the fee; however, I am checking my credit report as they have a lot of information.
Dannie said,
October 4, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Thanks for the great information about this scam. My daugther received a letter in the mail this week and it’s a good thing she gave it to me to look over. I researched it on the internet because something just didn’t sound and seem right with this letter. I’m greatful for all the comments written about this JERK scamming innocent and honest people. I just want to add that he will have his day of reckoning because I believe in CARMA. Something must be done to stop this JERK.
boby said,
October 31, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I just got one of those letters about 5min. ago and what a bunch of crap. im glad i found this web site.
Eric said,
November 1, 2008 at 11:18 am
Ha, thanks for the info. Got the letter for the $7,500 engineering scholarship, read the letter and though it was a scam. Turned out I was right and this article proves my suspicion.
Joseph said,
November 13, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Yesterday, I received a same letter from a JERK (Ike Onwo), first of all, the postage stamp was up side down, this tell me the people who send this letter out is not a profestional, must be a SCAM big time, also lucky me that I check the internet and found a lots of you people got the letter from the same guy.
Katie said,
November 30, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I recently got the same letter but it was for Nursing Students. Guess what they raised the price to $27 now. Don’t get caught!
Jennifer said,
December 16, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Thank God, i found this website because i would of sent my application and a fee of $27 for the information that i will be processing. For some odd reasons, i forgot to sent in the application and was worried afterwards if i was not allow to sent it in….i had a weird feeling about this mail when it came in because i didn’t sign up for any scholarships from USA scholarships services. And also, the application looked unprofessional and was not detailed enough for how i can get the funded for school and if there were actual facts about them funding other college students. For those students who received the “scholarships” i advised to talk to you counselors and call the number provided. You’ll see for yourself it it a scam, because for one thing, i can not find their website, which all of the other scholarships that I have signed up for had a website for info. Be aware of people who will want your money and always ask questions before doing anything!!
moniqueleonard said,
December 16, 2008 at 4:10 pm
You said it, Jennifer: “always ask questions”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Romina said,
December 16, 2008 at 8:12 pm
omg
i was about to send it… good that my dad told me to research it first…
thanks for the help!
=]
Camerron said,
December 30, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I just received this letter in the mail today and I was very suspicious since I hadn’t in the past applied for any scholarships…Good thing I decided to research this. I just typed in the “directors” name and this immediately came up!
thank you
Tracey said,
January 10, 2009 at 10:34 pm
My daughter recieved a letter in the mail from this Ike person and we were about to send in the money and I decided to check them out. They had no website so I googled them and found this. I’m so glad I decided to do this. My daughter was upset with me for not sending the money because here was a deadline but when she hears this she will be happy that I did drag my feet on it. Thanks for the info! Next time we get this type of mail we will think twice.
ashley johnson said,
January 23, 2009 at 11:33 pm
I am a current college student at Blinn College in Texas!! I received a letter today stating that I was able to receive up to 7,500 dollars for being a biology major. This sent red flags flying for the reason that I am a pre- vet med. student not a Biology, so I tried to find their information on my college financial aid web sit. However this so called scholarship was never listed not even on Texas A&M’s web sit, so I plan to place fliers up at my college to let everyone know that it is a SCAM!!! No one should ever ask for money on a FREE scholarship, and to prove my point FASFA is a federal based scholarship that requires no money for processing! Funny how a federal based scholarship that deals with international students doesn’t even require that!!!
Watch out for things like that!!!
Agnes said,
January 26, 2009 at 11:38 am
Same with the rest here who left a comment my son received a letter from USA Scholarship Services (Scholarship Program for Engineering Students). The content of the letter was the same as the rest. Applicants may receive $7,500 from the scholarship programs, $27 processing fee, etc. My son filled up the application before returning to college and told me to fill up the parents information and mail it. The deadline is Jan. 28, 2009 so i have to mail it as soon as possible but I have reservations because I also received the same letter from College Financial Advisory. I also remembered what my son’s school in high school said that you don’t have to pay for scholarship search. It’s free, it’s in the internet and it’s in your school’s guidance office. I immediately google it and found this website. Thank God, there’s internet. I found out, it’s a scam! Now I have to research about this College Financial Advisory. Any information about this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Theresa said,
January 26, 2009 at 11:18 pm
I am so glad I found this website. My oldest of five is a freshman in college. We are very inexperienced with scholarships. I received the same letter from this company only it was for “nursing scholarships”. I was leary just because they asked for money. How do they know what your children are majoring in???? Thanks for confirming it!!!
nancy said,
February 6, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I too recieved a letter today from this company. I thought it sounded fishy so I looked up the company with the BBB. They didn’t have too much information so I did a google search and found this site……thank goodness….ANYONE WHO DID SEND IN THE MONEY……….PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR CREDIT…….THESE PEOPLE NOW HAVE ALOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU AND WHO KNOWS HOW THEY WILL USE IT
Deni said,
February 7, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I received a letter in the mail from USA Scholarship Services for an offer to apply for 2009/2010 Nursing students for a Nursing scholarship program. They pick up to 250 nursing students and that there was a $27.00 processing fee for the 2009/2010 applications. It goes on to say that this fee is necessary to cover the cost of processing the applications we expect to receive. However, students who fail to qualify for at least $1,000 in scholarships may be entitled to a full refund of their application fee and we wish you the best of luck with the stamped signature of Ike Onwo. Then, you try to search for USA scholarship services to see if its legitamate and nothing pops up, but when you type in USA scholarship services nothing pops up but this other scholarship search engine websites. If you include the name Ike Onwo in the search..this link pops up!!!
IT’S APPARANTLY NOT LEGITIMATE SO DON’T SEND IN YOUR HARDEARNED MONEY TO THIS SO CALLED “USA SCHOLARSHIP SERVICES!”
soro said,
February 12, 2009 at 3:43 am
hello i did receive 7000 dollras from usa scholarship
folks this is not a scam
you just need to apply and if you dont recieve you will get a refund
ofcourse not everybody will geta scholarhsip
i am sure many people have recived scholarship just like me but they did not post here
please if you recived scholrship with ike ono, please post so people will know this is no scam
thank you usa scholarship service
ja broni said,
July 23, 2009 at 7:58 pm
where in the world are you going to go to school at. you can’t spell to save your life!
moniqueleonard said,
February 12, 2009 at 7:20 am
Soro – you realize that you could have found that same scholarship on Google yourself for free, and still gotten the scholarship? USA Scholarship Services didn’t award you the scholarship, they just mailed you photocopies of applications.
If it worked for you great, but I’d recommend saving money and searching Google or your other favorite search engine for free.
soro said,
February 14, 2009 at 6:05 am
moniqueleonard — you just are not logical
so if i can do something or get something free i should not pay for it — right
dont you know that public school is free but parents pay thousand to send their children to school ?
walking to work is free but you buy a car and drive — why ?
cmom stop mis leading people
moniqueleonard said,
February 17, 2009 at 7:17 am
Soro, I completely disagree with you. I don’t think people should pay for something they can get for free.
Regarding your two examples – quite frankly, they don’t relate at all to this argument. I think most people are aware that their taxes pay for public schools, as well as the “free” services of police, firemen, and libraries, amongst many others.
And as for walking to work, if my job were within walking distance and I didn’t have to own a car, you betcha I would walk!
Kim said,
February 19, 2009 at 9:54 pm
I am very disappointed that someone can get away with such a scam! My daughter received the letter regarding a Nursing Scholoarship. I was about to get excited until I decided to check it out first on the internet and found all this information. I’m so glad I did but really disheartened that someone can actually do this and continue to get away with it. I will be reporting this “organization”, or whatever they/he call themselves, for mail fraud! There is no telling how many people actually send in the money and get scammed! This person is getting rich off people. He can’t even spell or write, much less help anyone with scholarships! I’m really disgusted!!
Sharon said,
February 27, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I was excited also since my son’s letter was for an Engineering scholarship up to $7500. I hope it’s not the college he attends that sells the student’s names to these scam places or FAFSA. Where else would they get their names from? A person really has to be careful these days.
Raycheal said,
May 1, 2009 at 11:49 am
my college, the fasfa, and scholarship.com are the only three places that have my information. i have a idea that i recieved this letter from scholarship.com resources. . .
moniqueleonard said,
May 1, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Actually, it may not be from any student-related website. If you’re of “typical” college age, they could have bought your name from an online retailer, like an Amazon. I’m not saying it was Amazon in particular – I don’t know they’re privacy policy – but many online retailers sell client data, and many more are turning to it in these tough economic times as a way to help bring in revenue.
moniqueleonard said,
February 27, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Sharon – just a comment – the FAFSA is legitimate, and it is required to receive federal financial aid, and also some scholarships. Here’s the official website of the US Department of Education:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
The FAFSA is free to fill out – perhaps you’ve been contacted by someone offering to do the FAFSA for you? THat is an option, but remember the FAFSA is free to everyone.
Also, many tax professionals will “throw in” a free FAFSA form – fill it our for you – as they already have all your tax info. It’s a nice option if you’re already paying someone for your taxes.
Rob Whitworth said,
March 21, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Thank you all for leaving your information on this site. I got a funny feeling when I got USA Scholarship Services’ letter asking for $27.00 to help me find scholarships. I went onto D C’s BBB site and couldn’t find them listed. Next, my g/f suggested I use my favorite search engine, Altivista, which led me here. I’m passing the word on to my friends and classmates. Once again, thanks!
Teresa Miller said,
March 21, 2009 at 10:08 pm
My son received an offer from USA Scholarship Services / Scholarship Program for Computer Students. I assumed that USA Scholarship Services obtained info from the internet. My son recently took a career placement test on the internet. I too questioned the fee for scholarship application. I am going to have my son take this letter and application to the financial aid office at the college he attends. Consumer beware. There are many unethical persons out trying to scam. I have a small business, and I get calls on a daily basis from so called companies offering “grants”. If things sound too good to be true, they usually are. Doing your homework pays off.
Daniel said,
April 17, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I recently received a letter from USA SCHOLARSHIP SERVICES. I know this is a SCAM. However, I want to know how they got my information when I can’t even find it online.
moniqueleonard said,
April 20, 2009 at 7:01 am
Hi Daniel,
It’s likely they bought a list of names and yours was on it, possibly from someone you’ve done business with such, as an online retailer, or a company that specializes in serving college-aged people. It’s the same thing that happens when you buy a house and suddenly find yourself drowning in offers to re-roof your house or chemically treat your lawn.
Amanda said,
May 6, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Crap!!!! I was tricked into this scam! I sent my money in about a week and a half ago. Whats funny is i really thought it was too good to be true. BUt i still did it anyway! What terrible people trying to take money from poor college kids.
Logan said,
May 10, 2009 at 2:18 am
wow looks like mika and soro and ike are all bastards oh I’m sorry just one b**. I got this letter in the mail and the first thing I thought was “Damn Phishing scam” and as any good student I did my research. My suspicions were verified here. this Ike mofo is as lazy as they get first he uses stamps. any professional goes and buys a postage meter, i mean an upside down stamp? come on. The return letter looks like it was printed off Microsoft word, plus once again postage is not included. this just makes it harder for people to send you money ike. plus the papers were not folded straight obviously done by an amateur. I can’t believe your laziness ike. plus no website not even a crappy one. Thankfully many people who receive this do not think clearly and send you money. and the last thing, if your going to come on here as mika or soro use proper english or at the least Google translator seeing as english is obviously a second language for you.
[Edited to remove improper remarks]
soro said,
May 10, 2009 at 5:31 am
this logan who d h** ah u
u think ur queen elizabeth can speak propa englisgh
well move to london cause this is no london
[Edited to remove improper comments]
mika said,
May 10, 2009 at 5:32 am
yeh logan is full of ***
[Edited to remove improper comments]
Logan said,
May 10, 2009 at 5:31 pm
wow its true mika and soro are the same person!!
moniqueleonard said,
May 11, 2009 at 6:22 am
OK boys, if you keep up with the swearing and nasty comments I’ll ban the lot of you. Tone it down.
mike said,
May 14, 2009 at 4:51 pm
shouldn’t such scammers be in jail. its about time we bury these suckers. they just seem to be all around, invading everything we have or hope to have. power to the people
Marlene said,
May 15, 2009 at 11:11 am
thanks for the article. I read the name “USA Scholarship Services”, I was like “what a general and phony sounding name”. For something that is supposedly the country’s scholarship service, it doesn’t look very official. This scam should be shutdown, I feel bad for people who don’t think to google it before giving these butholes their money.
Marlene said,
May 15, 2009 at 11:25 am
oh yeah and I think they get your info from scholarships.com .
Nadine said,
May 19, 2009 at 8:59 am
thank all of you very much jst like the rest of you i received the USA Scholarships Services and i was just about to send it in when i thought hmmm… let me check this out it sounds fishy and i found out it was a fake so thank you all once again you saved me 27 dollars!!!
sushi said,
May 28, 2009 at 7:07 am
thanks all of you for your posting
lets keep the world safe from drunk drivers
christmas is almost 5 months and people still drink and drive
thanks all of you for ike is obviously sleeping so lets hope
Lakin Smith said,
May 29, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I just got a letter from “USA scholarship services” saying the same thing about various scholarships but it was for nursing students. I figured it was a scam after remembering a high school counselor warning us about any supposed scholarship that requires money to apply. I quickly googled USA Scholarship Services just to verify my thoughts and quickly found this website! I’m throwing it in the trash now!!!!
elisa said,
June 3, 2009 at 1:47 pm
I recieved a letter like this in the mail for biology students. It’s a good thing I researched it before I sent it in,it saved me 27 dollars. Thanks everyone who posted for the warning. I found some websites with tips on scholarship scams from the federal trade commision
http://www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams
mula said,
June 9, 2009 at 1:58 am
yeh i got one billion from uncle sam and am GM and citbank and all scam so leave ike alone and go afta madoff
ja broni said,
July 23, 2009 at 8:01 pm
why does everyone who supports this fool have a four letter name?
fuukinbutt said,
July 30, 2009 at 1:39 am
i support ike
i got 60,000usd from him
Nikki said,
August 6, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Yeah, I got the letter today too, for the 2009/2010 academic year. At first, I thought “Great, Uncle Sam is actually going to give me some money” (Since I don’t qualify for the Pell Grant) But the more I thought about it, I realized that of the thousands of scholarships that I have looked at, never once did I see anything about “USA scholarship services”. I decided to look it up, and actually, as I was waiting for site listings, I thought “Watch this be a scam”. Sure enough, every site that came up in my search engine was about this being a scam.
After re-reading the letter, I see alot of unprofesionalism in the writing. I’m really glad I looked this up. Thanks for the tip, ya’ll!!!!
Carolyn said,
August 11, 2009 at 10:47 am
Thank you!!!
miss latoya chin said,
August 28, 2009 at 3:22 am
me i get 300,000 from ike becos i write all the peple ike told me
ike very gud and he kall me every day now i get 300,000 dollars becos i now go to skool and i study nurse so to get gud job but ike gud and he help
me so i get 300,000 dollahs so i finish skool and go to china to get job to work and happy
thanks
Delilah said,
September 8, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I received the USA Scholarship Services letter today and figured it to be fishy which lead me to this site. I never heard of a fee for this type of service.
Thanks for confirming my suspicions.
Philip said,
October 5, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Scams are more prevalent today than ever. I’ve just recently been involved in a scam and they are currently being sued. When I got the “USA Scholarship Services” envelope in the mail I was at once suspicious. I read the fishy letter and hopped on the internet and wrote this.
IF ITS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY ISN’T!
Don’t believe everything you hear either. Search out the truth for yourself.
dan t said,
October 22, 2009 at 1:01 pm
all the 110 comment about usa scholarship services are bunch of liars.usa scholarship services is trusted.usa conduct business with high level of morality.i am one of 500 students selected to receive one of the scholarships i applied for through using their services.the scholarship name is walton community scholarship funded by the wal-mart foundation.the amount was $3000.all you have to do is to follow the instruction provided by usa scholarship.i truely hope that you commentors will stop pasting negative information about usa scholarship.
j robinson said,
October 22, 2009 at 1:37 pm
the comment about usa scholarship being a scam is a liar.i hope that you people should quit telling false information about usa scholarship.i accepted the scholarsfip offered to me by the university of michigan college of engineering for $1500 through using usa scholarship service.all i was told by the university is to maintain a 3.0 GPA .please quit those big liars about usa scholarship people
m yartza said,
October 22, 2009 at 1:48 pm
i read the article posted about usa scholarship services.i completely did not believe what people said about usa.my son received $1000 ONE TIME scholarship through using the information he received from usa scholarship.