A scam is when someone tries to steal your money, personal information or data. Scams come in many different types and ways, so it’s always good to stay vigilant.
In the past, we have seen scammers directly target students' emails with fee payment details, promising access to university services again when payment is received. This scam shows just how aware students have to be and that scams can come from anywhere.
Some scams we’re seeing at the moment that we want people to be aware of are:
- sending money for accommodation without signing a contract and then realising the property doesn’t exist
- being asked for money to get into an employment opportunity which offers larger rewards
- offering to pay tuition fees on behalf of a student if they send the scammer a partial payment (the tuition fees are then never paid by the scammer)
Here are a few common ways to spot a scam:
- Is it too good to be true? If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- If you’re contacted by someone you don’t know asking for personal details.
- If you get an email from an unknown email, like one with lots of random letter and numbers.
- If someone is requesting you to pay to a different account than normal with notice.
For more ways to spot a scam, check out the Advice Service page on scams.
Some ways to protect yourself from scams are to ensure you have sufficient privacy settings set up, have two-factor authentication set up and to monitor all accounts regularly.
If you think you’ve been affected by a scam, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself and get support. Some things you should do are:
- change your passwords
- contact your bank if you have transferred any money to scammers
- call the police if you are being threatened
You can report scams to Action Fraud via this form. You can also forward any scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. More information about Action Fraud and reporting scams can be found here.
If you are struggling financially as the result of a scam please contact Your Students’ Union Advice Service for support. The best way to contact the Advice Service is via the online enquiry form.