You're innocently surfing online, and come across a Web site offering financial aid services for a fee -- your gut reaction says it's a scam, but how can you be sure?

The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Web site lists signs to help flag a potential financial aid scam, so we measured them against a site we found a little suspicious: www.financialaidsupersite.com.

Read on to see what we found.

FTC Tip #1: Financial aid scams almost always tote a "guarantee" of some kind, whether it's the approval of a loan or a big refund.
Site says: "We guarantee to do all applicable steps on our college-planning checklist. If we fail to fulfill our commitment to complete these steps you are entitled to a refund."
Gut reaction: The culprit words "guarantee" and "refund" are present, but not in a suspicious way - the site is simply saying it'll refund your money if you're not satisfied.

FTC Tip #2: Be wary of 800, 866, or 877 numbers, or area codes from Canada, like 416, 647, 905, or 705. Also, just because an ad is placed in a legitimate media outlet - such as your town's newspaper - doesn't mean the company is trustworthy.
Site says: Based in Madison, CT, Financialaidsupersite.com lists a Connecticut phone number, fax, plus an e-mail address.
Gut reaction: The company seems pretty reachable via telephone, snail mail, or e-mail, which is a good sign. They've passed the "contact test."

FTC Tip #3: Don't pay for the promise of a loan.
Site says: The company charges $39 a month for 36 months and a $597 enrollment fee, promising to provide methods used by financial aid professionals to increase your financial aid, grant, and scholarship money.
Gut reaction: Seems to us like an outrageous amount of money to pay for "methods" rather than results. The site also claims they'll fill out the FAFSA for you for free - which is great, but you can fill out the FAFSA for free too, you know.

Bottom line?
It's hard to say whether this is a financial aid scam or a legit service. The site is thorough, which leads us to believe it's not a scam - but then again, the company offers a lot of services you could get from a free seminar or similar Web site like www.supercollege.com. You'll just have to trust your gut on this one.

When reviewing similar companies, remember to also check with the Better Business Bureau online (www.bbb.org), or ask your guidance counselor for advice.

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