Can you spot the scam before the countdown reaches zero?
Learning goal
Identify suspicious sender details, urgency, deceptive links, and requests for sensitive information. Distinguish a legitimate message from a phishing attempt and choose a safe verification method.
CASE FILE: THE MESSAGE THAT COULD COST YOU
Story
It is 8:42 a.m. on a Monday. Aanya, a first-year college student, is checking her phone before class. A message arrives with the subject line: “CONGRATULATIONS! Your ₹50,000 Student Excellence Scholarship Is Approved.” She has been searching for scholarships to help pay her college expenses, so the message feels like wonderful news.
SUSPICIOUS MESSAGE — TRAINING SIMULATION
From: National Student Scholarship Desk <scholarship.support@gmail.com>
Subject: FINAL CONFIRMATION REQUIRED — Scholarship Expires Today!
Dear Aanya,
Your profile has been shortlisted for a ₹50,000 scholarship. To release your funds today, complete verification within 30 minutes.
Click here to confirm your award: [Verify Scholarship Now]
Please submit your college login ID, password, date of birth, bank account details, and the OTP sent to your mobile. Failure to act immediately will result in permanent cancellation.
This offer is confidential. Do not contact your college office, as that may delay your payment.
Regards,
Scholarship Processing Team
Aanya notices that two classmates have forwarded a similar message in a group chat. One says, “It looks official—just do it quickly!” Another student says the scholarship portal normally uses the college website. Aanya has only a few minutes before class, and the countdown in the message makes her anxious.
Your mission
MISSION 1 : FIND THE RED FLAGS
Task
Identify at least five warning signs in the message. For each one, explain why it is suspicious.
MISSION 2: CHOOSE YOUR NEXT MOVE
Decision point
Aanya has not clicked the link. What should she do next? Choose one response.
New evidence
What does this new evidence suggest? What should Aanya do if she has already clicked the link or entered information?
Likely explanation
The message displays common signs of phishing and social engineering. It uses a tempting reward, urgency, a request for sensitive information, an unverified link, and a warning not to verify independently. These clues strongly suggest an attempt to steal credentials or personal/financial information. A message’s appearance or a classmate’s forward does not prove that it is legitimate.
Safe response
Aanya should avoid the link, not reply, and verify the scholarship through the college’s official website or a contact method obtained independently. She can report the message to the college’s IT/help desk and the email or messaging platform. If she has entered a password, she should change it immediately using the genuine website, change it anywhere else it was reused, and enable multi-factor authentication where available. If she shared an OTP or financial information, she should contact the relevant bank/service provider promptly and follow its account-protection guidance.
Pause. Inspect. Verify independently. Never share passwords or OTPs in response to unsolicited messages.
Name any four warning signs in the scholarship message. (0.5 mark each, up to 2 marks)
State one safe way to verify whether the scholarship is genuine.
Q4 — Incident response (1 mark)
What is one immediate action Aanya should take if she has already entered her password?
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