Protecting yourself from scams and fraud
Scams and fraud are the fastest growing form of crime, so you need to know how to protect yourself against them.
What is a scam?
A scam (fraud) can present itself in many ways, but it is usually designed to get hold of your money. A scammer may contact you through a phone call or email and will often ask you to transfer money
How can you spot a scam?
A scammer may call you and pretend to be from an official body such as:
- The Home Office
- An Embassy
- Your bank
- The Police
- The University
- Other government offices or services
The scammer will try to convince you that you need to transfer money to them, or ask you to pay in an unusual way such as through vouchers or via a transfer service. They will sometimes already know details about you and can sound very convincing, and they may try to use information they know about you to make you feel threatened.
Never provide personal information or agree to transfer money,or purchase gift cards if someone calls you. Official organisations would never ask you to do this.
Scams can also be online, and some are very sophisticated and hard to spot. Some will offer investments or services which offer great returns. When responding to job adverts or opportunities online, always do your research.
Be careful of online posts that offer a large amount of money - a scammer might ask you to allow them to transfer money to your bank account. This is a form of fraud where the victim is set up to take the consequences and is often related to money laundering.
Never share bank or personal details with someone you don’t know and trust.
A scammer may be from your home country or in the UK. They may take advantage of the fact that you may be new to a country, and unsure about how things work.
Latest known scams
January 2024
Students have reported receiving phone calls from people pretending to be from a bank or student finance providers. The call may appear to look as if it is from the University Switchboard on your mobile phone. They may also mention the name of a senior member of University staff to convince you the call is legitimate.
Your bank, Student Finance England, or the University of Sheffield will never ring you and ask for your card details over the phone, or in an email.
October 2023
We have been made aware of a scam in the Yorkshire region. This involves criminals making phone calls to students in University residences. They will pretend to be the University and try to convince you to hand over credit/debit card details to pay rent or tuition fees.
The University of Sheffield will never ring you and ask for your card details over the phone or in an email.
How can you protect yourself?
It is important to take steps to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a scam.
- Be suspicious of job adverts that offer the chance to earn quick and easy money. Stick to reputable job sites and remember that if something looks too good to be true, then it probably is.
- Don’t sign up for any opportunity without undertaking some proper research. E.g., Google any prospective employer, do they have an online presence? Are the contact details legitimate? Is it based overseas?
- Don’t engage with any online posts offering large sums of money.
- Don’t accept message requests from people you don’t know, and if you receive a message with a link to click from a friend, speak to them in person before you respond.
- Don’t share bank and personal details with anyone that you don’t know or trust – even among friends or family. If someone asks to 'borrow' your bank account, say no.
- Always remember that if you aren’t sure about the source of the money, it could have come from criminal activity, and you could unwittingly be laundering money and end up with a criminal conviction.
- If something doesn’t feel right about a call, or if you’re feeling pressured during a phone call, it’s always okay to end the call. If you want to check if the call was legitimate you can call them back through a known contact number from another phone.
There are some useful websites which can help you identify scams and take action to protect yourself:
University guidance for protecting yourself online
Government guidance (Google Drive, PDF file)
How do you report a scam?
If you wish to report a scam, go to the Action Fraud website or call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
You can also report a scam anonymously to Crimestoppers, an independent charity. Visit the Crimestoppers website, or call 0800 555 111 at any time, on any day.
Where to find support if you’re the victim of a scam
If you do fall victim to fraud and it is affecting you, your studies or your wellbeing, you can contact our welfare adviser at support@sheffield.ac.uk.
You can also contact the Student Advice Centre email: advice@sheffield.ac.uk
Please note it is not always possible to get your money back and any financial help available from the University would be very limited.