New international students are often more at risk of scams, because they may be unfamiliar with local laws or not know where to go for help and advice. However, anyone can be targeted.
These scams are not just petty thefts but can involve life-changing sums, with students sometimes losing large amounts of money.
Scams come in many forms, including:
- Phishing emails and messages: scammers may impersonate trusted entities like banks, universities, embassies, or even friends.
- False promises: offers of non-existent jobs or internships, bursaries, or housing opportunities that ask for an advance payment or sensitive information.
- Threats, blackmails and sextortion: situations where students are coerced into isolating themselves because of threats, drastically altering their behaviour or disappearing from their social and academic circles.
Some of these scams target specific communities of students.
How are we supporting our students?
We all have a role to play: if you notice that a student’s behaviour changes suddenly, it’s crucial that you reach out. Missing lectures, stopping communication without explanation, or isolating themselves from others can sometimes be signs of the student being a victim of coercive scam tactics, where students are instructed to stay secluded or face fictional consequences.
The following services are available to students who are concerned about financial fraud: