Watch out for scams or fraud!

Hello. And welcome to this 'How-to' video on 'How to Protect Against  Scams and Frauds As a Student at University.' I'm Shivani Rao. I work as a Digital Safety Officer from the Digital Skills Team, and I manage various training and awareness activities in digital safety and citizenship. 

One of the biggest digital safety  threats that we see students encounter at the University is online fraud and financial scams. And, sadly, online frauds have only grown more sophisticated over the years, especially since the pandemic, and now through the increased  access to and use of generative AI. 

Anyone can be a victim of a scam, whether that is in person, over the phone or via a fraudulent email or text message. At the University of Edinburgh, the two most common types of online fraud and scams we see are 'phishing' and 'social engineering'. So phishing usually takes the form of a fraudulent email sent out to many people, reporting to come from a reputable company. These emails are designed to trick you into clicking on a link and revealing your personal details, such as your credit card number. 

This is by far the most common type of online fraud encountered by students at the University. But we also see students impacted by things like social engineering. Which, in contrast, targets just one or a few people to find their weak points. Social engineering is the clever manipulation of the natural human tendency to trust, and it's this natural inclination that criminals take advantage of. Usually, their aim is to prey on people's emotions and get them to focus on the feeling rather than thinking. So this could either be through a very sad story or by making you fearful. And one of the biggest tactics they use is pressure. So this could be time-related. So they could say: 'If you don't do this in 5 minutes, you are going to be in big trouble, you're going to be deported, or you're going to be arrested.' Or it could be financial pressure. So they could say something like: 'Unless you agree to this, you are going to lose thousands of pounds.' The criminal puts the victim under pressure to decide without allowing them the time to think it through. So fraudsters using social engineering are highly manipulative, and they will seek out ways to get you to reveal small bits of personal information to form a larger picture on how to attack and steal from you. 

Some of the scams that often affect university students could include the following, but it is important to remember that this list is not exhaustive. It is merely meant to get you to start thinking about what these scams could look like potentially. The first is 'money mule' scams. So a mule account is one which is used to launder criminal funds, making an account holder a money mule. So people are often targeted to provide access to their accounts, either on the promise of a share of the funds or by coercion. And sometimes this may happen by way of fake part-time jobs. So how can you protect yourself from being entangled in a money laundering scam? Never give anyone details of your bank or other financial account: your bank card, your pin code, your password, or your app passcode. All of this information is completely private. Do not be lured to receive money in your account, no matter how plausible the offer sounds. So always be suspicious, question what you're being asked to do and do your research on any advertised jobs. A genuine official from the police, your bank, HMRC, or any other the trusted authority will never call you to ask you to verify your personal banking details. Another type of scam  university students should be wary of includes the 'advanced fee' fraud, which is an umbrella term for a fraud where a criminal convinces a victim to make advanced payments for a product or a service that doesn't actually exist. So this can include rental scams, work from home fraud, lottery fraud... You should always be wary about giving money to anyone up front, especially a stranger. 

Do not be pressurised into  making purchase decisions in the moment, and always take time to think. Also be aware of the 'virtual kidnapping' scam, which is a scam where criminals, either falsely claim to have kidnapped a loved one, or force victims to pretend that they themselves have been kidnapped to extort money. So those involved employ social engineering techniques to manipulate emotions and have been known to use AI generated voices. So should you receive such a call, do not give them any information, especially the names of your loved ones, even if they seem to already know it. 

Reach out to the alleged  kidnap victim and verify they are safe. Do not send any money. If you are being forced into faking a kidnap, then immediately end all  communications with the criminals. Inform your family that you are safe and well, and tell them not to respond to any contact they might receive. If you have fallen victim to a scam, firstly, please remember that scams and frauds can affect anyone, and there is no shame in this. It is not your fault, but the criminals who are engaging in illegal activity and manipulating people with no regard to their actions impacts. Should you fall victim to a fraud or scam, or if you come across something that you are sure is a scam, you should report it to the police.

 And you can do this by either calling 999 in the case of an emergency, 101 in the case of non-emergency, or by using their online website reporting portal. Remember to seek support. So the University Security team are available to offer advice on a round- the-clock basis. They are on call across multiple campuses, and you will also find their contact details on the back of your student ID card. The second place to point out is the Information Security Helpline,  whom you will contact if you receive any phishing emails, if your device was hacked, you've encountered online fraud, et cetera. Thirdly, if you've encountered something that is stressing you, I would highly recommend getting in touch with the Students' Association's Advice Place. They offer free confidential advice on issues including money, wellbeing, harassment, and safety and crime.

 And lastly, you can also reach out to your Student Adviser who will direct you towards the appropriate support services at the University. And that is the end of my presentation. I would recommend reviewing the 'Digital Safety, Wellbeing and Citizenship' web pages, which link to some great resources in scams and fraud support, online harassment support, resources against online intimate image abuse, and digital wellbeing and citizenship. Thank you very much.