Like everyone, students can fall victim to scam or fraud. These attempts can be made in person, on social media, via email, phone call or text message. 

Do not:

• Engage in conversations or respond directly to an email or text
• Reply with your personal details
• Provide bank account information, send or receive money
• Reveal your full name, date of birth and home address
• Click on shortened links where the full location of the webpage is hidden

Common scams

Phone scams

Beware of calls where the caller says they are from your bank or the police about fraudulent use of your credit or debit card, or bank account.

Other scams include fraudsters posing as members of university financial teams and advising students that their bank account has been involved in fraud. They often use fake LinkedIn accounts to 'prove' their identity.

A scammer may ask you for all of your bank details including the number on the back of your card and your PIN, they may also tell you that you need to give your bank card to a courier or set up a completely new bank account.

Neither your bank, the police nor university staff would ask you to do this. You would also never be called by your bank or the police to move your money to a safe account due to your account being compromised.

Phishing emails/texts

Beware of emails and texts from untrusted sources containing a link or attachment. Even 'unsubscribe' links can be malicious. Verify the email via a trusted source, such as logging into your account with that company separately to check for any messages.

The email address in the ‘from’ field can also be changed to look like it is being sent from someone else. Always hover over the name in the 'from' field to display the full email address.

Examples include couriers emailing to say you have missed a delivery and that there is a charge for redelivery with a link, TV licencing payment due emails, PayPal unusual activity.

Look out for:

• bad grammar and spelling mistakes
• an unfamiliar greeting
• inconsistencies in addresses and links
• suspicious attachments
• request for login details or payment information

If you detect a phishing email, mark it as spam and delete.

Money laundering

Criminals may ask you to receive money into your bank account and transfer it into another account, keeping some of the cash for yourself. This makes you a money mule and comes with consequences such as the closure of your bank account, difficulty accessing student loans, problems applying for credit and even jail time.

You might be approached by criminals online or in person with what appears to be a genuine job advert. Once you hand over your bank details they will start depositing money and you could be threatened if you don’t continue to let your account be used.

Find out more

You can read more on Nottinghamshire Police's website.

Download the fraud advice booklet