We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we feel like it’s our duty as self-appointed Discount Experts to warn all of you who are using .edu loops for verification purposes that there’s a new con out there. Turns out absolutely anyone can get their very own .edu address online, whether they’re a student or not.
It’s not new news that anyone who has their heart set on masquerading as a student and has access to Photoshop can scam the system; it’s not that hard to forge a student ID or a class schedule. But that trick takes time, skill, and determination. The amount of actual fraudulent discount use by the Fake ID/Class Schedule method is fairly insignificant.
However, creating a bogus .edu address is far easier, only takes about 20 minutes, and there’s more than one site offering free .edu’s to anyone on the internet capable of filling out an online form.
Who can protect marketers and student discounts from the evil that lurks in the hearts of counterfeit students? Lucky for you, protecting student discounts by verifying student enrollment is one of SheerID’s many superhero powers. We’re still working on getting SheerID’s bat signal installed on the roof of the office, so for now, just give us a call at 855-SheerID or email us if your student discount is in danger.
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