Scams which target students are common at this time of the year, particularly concerning Student Finance, so please be vigilant and think before you click/reply to anything.
Check out these important points from Student Finance:
- We’ll never contact students through social media channels such as WhatsApp or Instagram.
- Please review the spelling and grammar of the message as poor punctuation and misspelling are often signs of smishing (fraud involving text messages).
- Keep an eye out for any suspicious emails, calls or texts around the time of an expected payment.
- Scam emails are often sent in bulk and commonly start with ‘Dear Student’ rather than personal names.
- Urgent messages are usually not genuine, for example ‘’failure to respond in 24 hours will result in your account being closed’.
- Think before you click by hovering over a link first and if in doubt do not risk selecting it.
- Always use official phone numbers, the online account and official communication channels to verify the contact received is genuine.
- Be mindful of information you share about yourself online, to help guard against identity theft.
- SLC, Student Finance England (SFE), Student Finance Wales (SFW) or Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI) send a text message to students if a change has been made to their bank details. If you haven’t changed your bank details and receive a message, please contact SFE, SFW or SFN immediately.
- You can find guidance on identifying a scam on GOV.UK.
If you receive a suspicious message, you should report it immediately by emailing report@phishing.gov.uk and call our dedicated hotline on 0300 100 0059.
You can also find a range of additional advice and information on recognising and avoiding scams from Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.