So-Called ‘Consortium’ Scams Students

By Broadside Staff Writer Samantha D'Introno

Many George Mason University students have been the victims of an e-mail scam recently. The scam extends an invitation to join a nationally recognized organization called North American Scholar Consortium. For many, an honor society application process is competitive, and sometimes, it can be difficult to be accepted. The North American Scholar Consortium, however, “grants membership” by simply filling out an application and paying a one-time fee of $68.

While most students recognized it was a scam after analyzing the website and e-mail, faculty who had heard of the invitations were quick to take action. Heather Anderson, program coordinator for the Honors College, sent an e-mail of warning to students after receiving e-mails from various students about the Scholar Consortium. The e-mail sent to students made it clear, stating “[The North American Scholar Consortium is] not a Mason program and we have no record of them as an official Honors group. Below is a link that may help you with suspicious groups in the future.”

The IT security office also sent out an e-mail regarding scams that have gotten through the filters of Mason e-mails and warns that any suspicious invitations should be reported to support@gmu.edu.

Some students, like junior government and international politics major Ravi Udeshi, were quick to realize the ploy. “I got it and immediately thought it was a scam . . . Who starts a letter by saying ‘Dear Udeshi, Ravi?’ The letter was very impersonal and cold and I would assume any real invitation to an honor society would be quite the opposite.”

Others thought it was an honor to be considered for an honor society. “I got it, too, but I thought it was real,” said sophomore conflict resolution major, Dema Al-Kakhan. “I was like ‘oh, this is so nice,’ but then after a couple of days and some asking around, I learned it wasn’t. I’m just glad I didn’t give any information.”

“I received an e-mail from them,” said freshman psychology major Stephanie Cain. “I was actually surprised I got in, because I know I am not among the top academic students at this university. I thought about doing it, but decided against it, and I never sent any money in.”

Gina Goettler, a freshman civil engineering major, echoed the sentiment of others on campus that had been achieving a high level of academic success. “It was pretty cool, I guess, getting an invitation to my fourth honors society this year, so it made me happy. I was thinking about joining it, and then thought to myself; well I’m already in two other honor societies on campus so I can’t handle another right now. I did not send in money. I guess I was fortunate.”

Nonetheless, Goettler was thankful for the warning. “I got that e-mail, and I honestly didn’t think it was suspicious until they sent out the e-mail saying that it wasn’t legit.”