LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 09/03/10 -- Autumn always means the start of the school year, and plenty of college students are looking for cash. Scammers are also looking for cash, and try to talk students into purchasing expensive scholarship research services that "guarantee" positive results. The Federal Trade Commission advises college students to be on the lookout for scholarship scams that can leave students even poorer than before. Planet Antares Scam Solutions provides a few tips to help you avoid scholarship scams.

No legitimate scholarship should cost the recipient any money. If you're told that you need to provide a credit card number or a fee to hold or release scholarship funds, back out immediately!

Be especially wary of services that promise to research and deliver "can't miss" scholarship opportunities. Some even guarantee that the student will receive funds. Don't fall for this; legitimate scholarship search services never guarantee results. Instead, do your own research and complete your own applications for scholarships.

Avoid the high-pressure sales pitches you may be subject to if you attend a college-financing seminar. Often, unscrupulous sales people try to increase the pressure to make a quick spending decision. Planet antares scam solutions instead recommends taking your time and consider the offer before signing up. Ask plenty of questions about any scholarship services you're considering. Understand how much you'll be charged; what's included in the price; and who will do the work. Ask for references from local students who have used the service and contact them for more information. Get everything in writing!

If the service promises that you won't have to lift a finger to get scholarship funds, look elsewhere.

Planet Antares Scam Solutions advises talking to your university's financial aid office. Ask if they've heard of the service and seek their recommendations on how to conduct scholarship searches. Financial aid offices are unlikely to recommend search services, but they may be able to inform you about scams they've heard of, or other funding resources you may not know about.

Check with your state's Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau to see if these agencies have fielded complaints about the search services you're considering. If the complaints have not been satisfactorily resolved, find a different search company, or conduct your own scholarship research.

About Planet Antares Scam Solutions

Planet Antares Scam Solutions is devoted to informing consumers about potential scams they may face. Whether it is online or off, planet antares scam solutions wants to keep consumers aware and informed about popular scams.

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