Fraud Prevention

SECURITY ALERT: EXERCISE CAUTION TO AVOID FALLING VICTIM TO FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES

ATTENTION FOR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS - BUDDY4STUDY

The information presented on this page aims to protect scholarship applicants and scholars who have received scholarship funds through Buddy4Study.This article offers suggestions and tips to prevent potential scholarship fraud, safeguard against fraudulent activities.

Stay ALERT! Comprehend Scholarship Fraud: Scholarship fraud can be in various forms, including identity theft, fake scholarships, and phishing attempts where fraudsters may pose as Buddy4Study employees and request the return of the full/partial scholarship amount. It is crucial to remain vigilant and proactive in safeguarding both personal information and your scholarship funds.

Here is how fraudsters may scam you:

1. Fraudsters may pose as agents of Buddy4Study, urging you to pay money or registration fee for providing you guaranteed scholarship funds. It is to clarify that Buddy4Study does not have agents or partners who can guarantee scholarships. Also, we never request any moneyfrom scholarship applicants or scholars, throughout the entire scholarship journey including for filling the scholarship application forms, guaranteed seleciton or final disbursal of scholarship amount.
2. Fraudsters may ask you to provide Aadhaar details and mobile number to complete someone else's application form. If anyone requests access to your mobile text messages or asks for any OTPs, don’t share this information at all.
3. Fraudsters may contact you, posing as representatives of Buddy4Study, and request a refund of scholarship funds via email or call. You might fall victim to such scams if you engage in any conversations from non-official numbers/emails.

Note: For reporting any fraud or scam or any suspicious calls/emails, please immediately contact our fraud prevention/report helpline: reportfraud@buddy4study.com

Tips for Avoiding Scholarship Fraud

1. Verify Buddy4Study Communications:

   1. Official communications from Buddy4Study will be sent to your registered email/mobile number from the official Buddy4Study domain email ID. Genuine communications will always come from email addresses with the buddy4study domain name, such as info@buddy4Study.com or scholar-helpline@buddy4study.com or other official domain email IDs and Mobile Numbers Listed Here.
   2. Exercise caution against phishing emails or messages requesting personal information via non-official email IDs. Avoid responding to emails from non-official domains like Gmail, Yahoo.

2. Protect Your Personal Information:

   1. Don’t share your login credentials, social security numbers, or any sensitive information with unfamiliar individuals or websites.
   2. Don’t share your login credentials, social security numbers, or any sensitive information with unfamiliar individuals or websites.

3. Secure Your Documents:

   1. We accept applications only on the basis of the verified Aadhaar numbers of applicants. Therefore, it is important that you don’t share your Aadhaar number with anyone else for applying to any scholarship on Buddy4Study portal.
   2. Safeguard all scholarship-related documents, including award letters and confirmation emails, in a secure and password-protected location.
   3. If you are applying for a scholarship from any public computer/cyber cafe, make sure that all your documents are removed from the system before you log out of the system.
   4. Never share Mobile OTP for scholarship confirmation with any third party.

4. Report Suspicious Activity/Stay Informed:

   1. Beware of any demands from scamsters or spam emails asking for money /upfront advance/ registration fee for providing you guaranteed scholarship funds
   2. Students encountering suspicious activity or suspecting fraud should report it to Buddy4Study immediately through the official channels provided on the website or via helpline reportfraud@buddy4study.com
   3. Scholars can use the dedicated email id scholar-helpline@buddy4study.com, the email IDs through which they receive all the scholarship related communication including scholarship offer letters from Buddy4Study.

5. Action by Buddy4Study

   1. We have a dedicated fraud monitoring and prevention team which takes immediate action against any fraud reports received at reportfraud@buddy4study.com
   2. We also take strict action and legal course against fraud activities done by any third party/applicant/scholars

Remember, staying well-informed and vigilant is crucial in preventing fraud. We are here to assist you every step of the way through your academic journey. Congratulations once again on your scholarship, and we wish you the very best in your studies!