The UK is a wonderful place to study – with benefits not just to your education and career, but also in terms of friendship, culture, and personal development .

Unfortunately, like anywhere else in the world, there are some scams which particularly target international students.

This page provides information about some of the common scams targeting students. The International Student Support team are always here to help should you think you have fallen victim to a scam. 

Further information on resources for advice and to report a scam.

Here  are some key tips on how to reduce the chance of becoming a victim of fraud:

  • If anything sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
  • DO NOT give your bank details to anybody you do not know or trust.
  • Research any company that gives you a job offer to be sure they are legitimate and be wary of job offers from outside the UK – it can be harder to check if they are genuine.
  • Be cautious with any adverts or contact where the English is poor, such as grammatical errors or spelling mistakes
  • If you are ever in doubt or unsure about anything, contact us – we are here to help!

Types of scams

The golden rule: if somebody contacts you asking for money, personal details, or financial details, you should always be wary. They may pretend to be your phone provider, a student loan organisation, or anyone they can to try to trick you into giving them money or personal information.

They may seem genuine, they may know your personal details, but you should never give out your details to anybody.

If you are unsure or something seems suspicious, you should

  • end the contact,
  • contact the ISS team or
  • check it is legitimate, and then contact the company yourself. If they are genuine, they will not mind you doing this.

If in doubt  - contact ISS.