Starting university is a huge milestone, filled with new opportunities and responsibilities. However, it's also a time when you need to stay alert, especially to the various scams that target students. Scammers often see university students as easy targets because you may be managing your finances and personal information independently for the first time. This guide will help you recognise the most common scams and give you tips on how to protect yourself.
Student Loan Scams
At the start of each academic year, you may receive emails or messages that look like they're from Student Finance England or your university’s finance department. Scammers often claim there’s an issue with your student loan or tuition fees, and they’ll ask you to provide personal details or even make a payment to fix the problem. These emails are often well-crafted to look legitimate.
How it works: You might get an email saying your student loan is delayed unless you "verify" your bank details by clicking a link. The link directs you to a fake website that steals your login information.
How to avoid it: Always access your student finance account directly through the official website. Never click on links in unexpected emails, and be suspicious of any request for personal or banking information via email.
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are a common way for fraudsters to steal your personal information by sending fake emails, texts, or social media messages. These messages often appear to be from trusted organisations, like your university, bank, or even Netflix, and ask you to click a link or provide personal information. Once you do, they can access your accounts, steal your money, or even commit identity fraud.
How it works: You receive an email saying that your university email account is about to expire, and you need to log in through a provided link to keep it active. The link leads to a fake website designed to steal your login details.
How to avoid it: Never click on links in unsolicited emails or texts. Always type the website address manually into your browser. Be extra cautious if an email is asking for urgent action, like confirming account details or changing passwords.
Social Media and Online Marketplace Scams
As a student, you may buy or sell items on online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Scammers often target these platforms with fake listings or offers that seem too good to be true. They may sell counterfeit products, ask for payment via untraceable methods, or never deliver the item you purchased.
How it works: You find a great deal on a laptop on a social media marketplace. The seller asks for payment through a direct bank transfer, but after you pay, the item never arrives.
How to avoid it: Always use secure payment methods like PayPal, which offers buyer protection. Avoid paying by bank transfer or any method that doesn’t offer recourse if the deal goes wrong.
Sextortion Scams
Sextortion is a type of online blackmail where criminals threaten to share sexual pictures, videos, or information about you to friends, family and employers. University students, who may be active on social media or dating apps, are particularly vulnerable to these scams. Sextortion can start with seemingly harmless online flirting that escalates to requests for explicit content, followed by threats to share the material with friends, family, or on social media unless money is sent. Similarly, you may receive a vague email explaining that they have explicit images of you – these are most likely not true and are used to cause panic.
How it works: You connect with someone online who seems interested in you. After some flirting, they convince you to share intimate photos or videos. Soon after, they demand money, threatening to leak the content to your social media contacts if you don't comply. Fake sextortion emails be occur if your email address has been leaked.
How to avoid it: Never share intimate content with people you don’t fully trust, especially online. Be cautious about who you interact with on social media and dating apps. If you become a victim of sextortion, do not pay the scammer and report the incident to the police or your university's support services. There are organisations like Revenge Porn Helpline in the UK that offer advice and support for victims of such scams.