Financial scams and fraud

A SCAM is a fraudulent scheme performed by a dishonest individual, group, or company in an attempt to obtain money or something else of value. Anyone can be targeted and everyone is at risk so it is important you learn how to recognise a scam and protect yourself against them.

Scams are now very sophisticated (and can be complex), using impersonation techniques, stolen data or personal details from social media to make you believe what they say is genuine. Scammers may think you are an easy target because you are away from home, family and friends. You may be unfamiliar with local laws or not know where to go for help and advice.

Student-specific scams that you should be aware of include:

Student Loans Company phishing scam: Students get an email or a text from what appears to be the Student Loans Company asking for their bank details. You can read more about this scam: 

Students reminded to be vigilant of scams as 25/26 academic year begins - GOV.UK

Rental fraud: Students looking for property are asked to pay a fee in advance for a property that doesn’t even exist. The Advice Place has put together guidance on recognising accommodation scams and getting support:

Accommodation scams | Edinburgh University Students' Association

Money laundering or money mules: Young people under the age of 21 are the fastest growing age group being recruited as money mules by criminals. This involves a person agreeing to share their bank details so that money can be deposited into their account. Funds are then withdrawn and transferred onward, with the account holder retaining a percentage for their compliance.

The ‘virtual kidnapping’ scam: A student is contacted by someone pretending to be from the Embassy of their home country who tells them they are implicated in a serious crime. They are persuaded not to tell anyone and to cut off all contact with their family and ‘kidnap’ themselves. Money is then extorted from the family as well as from the student.

Fake Home Office scam: This scam targets international students. Fake officials claiming to be from the Police or Home Office contact the student and tell them they did not complete the correct paperwork on entry into the country and that they must pay a fine or be deported.

HMRC scam: Fraudsters ring and tell the victim that they will be arrested for tax fraud, unless they instantly hand over payment details and pay a fee. Alternatively, someone claiming to be from HMRC offers a 'tax refund' in exchange for personal or financial details.

Tuition payment help scam: Students are contacted and offered ‘help’ to pay their tuition fees or told they can have a bursary if they supply their bank details.  

Tuition fees email:  We are aware of fraudulent emails being sent out in the name of the University of Edinburgh, asking for students to pay a deposit for their tuition fees. The University will only send emails to you from addresses ending with ed.ac.uk, (including @uoe.ed.ac.uk and @exseed.ed.ac.uk). Any official email issued by the University will advise how to pay using an approved online payment system.

Foreign exchange scams: Students looking for favourable exchange rates may unwittingly be laundering money and may also end up losing their money.

Essay mills: Be aware of emails targeting students with offers to write dissertations or assignments. Not only could they be a scam, but the use of a ghostwriting service or an essay mill constitutes plagiarism.

We are also aware of scams affecting Chinese students

Fraudsters using WeChat and mobile contacts contact students on their mobile phone claiming to represent their bank, the embassy, police or other reputable agency and are told they owe funds immediately, often being offered preferential exchange rates on currency conversions. The video below made with the help of the Chinese Consulate provides more details:

Watch the Police Scotland video

• avoid any unexpected contact - phone calls, letters, emails or people knocking on your door should be ignored
• never give any personal or banking details to a cold caller, even if they appear to know some of your details already
• watch what you share on social media - this can be used to steal your identity and access accounts
• keep mobiles devices, operating system and virus protection software up-to-date
• make sure all accounts have a strong passwords and change them regularly
• don’t make any advance payments until you are sure the company you’re dealing with is legitimate
• use safe and secure WiFi connections and avoid public WiFi. Your standard 3G or 4G connection is often more secure than the one in the coffee shop or restaurant
• make sure any websites you are using are secure - check to see if the web address starts with HTTPS, not just HTTP
• if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is
• be wary of 'spoofed' phishing emails sent by third parties, pretending to be from the University. To report a suspicious email (even if the sender looks valid), forward it as an attachment to is.helpline@ed.ac.uk

The Police Scotland Online Safety Guide contains important safety advice: 

Student online safety guide - Police Scotland