Fraud, scams and phishing: what to look out for

This scam is usually aimed at international students. You may be approached on social media by an agent offering to pay tuition fees on your behalf.  

What to look out for:

• The scammer may have personal information about you including your name and where you are studying. 
• They may tell you their service will give you a discount or better exchange rate. 
• They may claim this is how most international students pay their fees. 
• The scammer will make the payment, provide a receipt, then cancel the payment once you have sent them the money. 

This scheme is a scam and you could lose your money. You should always use the University’s approved payment routes. 

• Read more about tuition fee fraud in English (PDF)
• Read more about tuition fee fraud in Chinese (Mandarin) (PDF)

This scam is usually aimed at international students. You may be approached on social media and offered a fraudulent rent payment service.

What to look out for:

• The scammer may know personal details about you, including your name and where you are studying.
• They may say they are from your accommodation provider.
• They may tell you that if you use the service, you will receive a discount and/or a better exchange rate on your rent.
• The scammer will make the payment, provide a receipt, then cancel the payment once you have sent them the money.

If you’re unsure about how to pay your rent, contact your University residence or contact Leeds University Union Help and Support.

You may be contacted on social media by someone pretending to be a landlord, or a current or former student, offering what looks like great accommodation.

What to look out for:

• They offer a too-good-to-be-true deal.
• They ask you to pay the deposit and rent in advance.
• When you go to view or move in, you find it belongs to someone else.

Don’t trust anyone asking you to pay money in advance, especially if you haven’t seen your accommodation or signed a contract.

Find out more about housing contract scams.

If you have any questions about your accommodation, contact your University residence or contact Leeds University Union Help and Support.

This scam is usually aimed at international students. You may be contacted by somebody claiming there is a problem with your bank account or visa.

What to look out for:

• They may claim to work for the Home Office UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), an embassy, the police, or another official authority.
• The telephone number or email address may appear genuine.
• They may have some personal information about you, including your name and where you are studying.
• They will pressure you to act quickly to resolve the issue.

If you are contacted in this way, end the conversation immediately. None of these organisations will contact you and ask for personal details or money.

If you have any concerns about your visa, email the Student Visa Advice team at studentvisaadvice@leeds.ac.uk.

More information about visa fraud and scams:

• UKVI advice on frauds, tricks and scams
• UK Council for International Student Affairs advice on frauds and scams

What to look out for

• You may receive a call claiming to be from your bank saying you have been the victim of fraud.
• The scammer may say you need to move your money to a new account with their help.

If you get a call from what seems to be your bank, hang up and phone your bank from a different phone to check if there is a problem. Don’t call from the same device that the call was made on as this is part of the scam to make you think you are phoning the bank independently.

Your bank will never call you offering to set up a new account or suggest that you should move your money.

Your bank website will have information on fraud and scams and how they might contact you to warn you of anything suspicious. Check this information so you know how to recognise bank fraud.

You may be asked by someone to put money into your bank account and then transfer the money into someone else's account. You might also be asked to withdraw the money in cash.

This is money laundering, which is a criminal offence. If you become involved and get caught, the consequences could be very serious.

What to look out for:

• Job offers that ask for bank details in advance without any interviews or applications. Use recognised job sites to avoid risks.
• People or organisations offering money that seem too good to be true – don’t trust anyone offering easy money.
• Anyone who contacts you on social media asking for your bank details so they can transfer money into your account.
• People saying they are having difficulty opening a bank account or have cash they want your help to keep safe by putting it in your account for a short while.

Watch a two-minute video about how to avoid being a money mule. 

• Read more about money laundering in English (PDF)
• Read more about money laundering in Chinese (PDF)

You may receive a message from a delivery company saying your package is delayed or needs a small payment to be delivered. You might be asked to enter personal and payment details or required to download an app.

What to look out for:

• A scam text message will often arrive as a mobile number, rather than from an official source.
• The request may be vague about where the parcel is coming from or what’s inside.
• You might notice spelling errors and unusual punctuation or capitalisation.
• If your message claims to be from Royal Mail, it’s a scam – Royal Mail do not ask their customers to pay fees in this way.

If you receive a message, don’t respond or click on any links.

You may be offered free tickets, supermarket vouchers, merchandise or other valuable items via social media.

What to look out for:

• Be wary of anything that asks you to click on a link and provide personal details.
• If a deal looks too good to be true – it probably is!

Never click on a link and always be cautious of anyone asking you for personal information.

You may be contacted by phone or email from somebody claiming to be in a position of authority and informing you that you have committed a crime, or that your bank activity is suspicious. They will then ask you to pay a fine.
 
What to look out for: 

• They may say they are from the police, Home Office UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) or another official authority.
• They will usually tell you it is an offence to tell anyone else, and that they are watching you.
• If you are unable to pay the amount demanded, you may be asked to take a video of you faking your own kidnapping to obtain ransom from your family.

This can be very frightening, but it is a scam. Do not respond, put the phone down and get in touch with the University’s Harassment and Misconduct team who can offer you support and guidance on what to do.