|
In this issue:
 The Student Loans Company
has reported an increase in scam emails, and Coventry Trading Standards are
warning all students to be on their guard.
The company has already closed down a number
of scam sites and are closely monitoring the new wave of phishing emails, which
are being sent to students, sponsors and the general public.
Student Finance England
will never email
you asking you to confirm your login, user or bank account details. This kind
of fraudulent email is known as 'phishing', and will take you to a fake
website. Phishing scams are common at the three main instalment payment
dates in September, January and April.
Students are urged to
remain vigilant and not to disclose any personal or bank details in response to
email requests which claim to be from either Student Finance England or its
parent company, the Student Loans Company.
If you get such an email you
should forward it to phishing@slc.co.uk then
delete it.
Anyone who has already given
their details should change their account password as soon as possible and
contact the Student Finance England security team. By forwarding the
email, you can help Student Finance England protect you and others.
For advice on using online
services safely visit www.getsafeonline.org
Back to top
|
 Seasonal rental
fraud is an emerging trend with students looking for suitable accommodation
around August, before the start of the new term.
Fraudsters will use
a variety of free advertising websites such as Gumtree to advertise ‘available’
properties in very convenient locations at very attractive rates.
Rental scams work
by asking the prospective tenant for deposits, or in some cases full payment
upfront, in order to prove that funds are available for the duration of the
rental period, or to secure the property prior to actually visiting it, usually
by some form of money transfer.
In some cases,
fraudsters have been able to gain access to properties and take prospective
tenants around, giving them the impression that the properties are vacant and
under their control.
There have also
been cases of fraudsters renting out properties that have already been rented
out, or have been rented to multiple victims at the same time. Any payments
made will be lost and the ‘landlord’ will have disappeared.
Coventry Trading
Standards have produced a list of tips in order for prospective tenants to
protect themselves:
-
Never send money upfront - Make certain the person
and property exists and the person has control of the property. Paying a
deposit is standard in renting; paying money upfront to secure one is not. The
safest way to pay is by a credit card in person at the letting agent’s office
where a formal contract should also be signed before any money has changed
hands.
-
Check the legitimacy of the advert – Avoid adverts that do not give
the address of the property.
-
Be aware of adverts with no telephone numbers or where
the only email address is a free one –Look for UK based telephone numbers but
be wary of numbers starting with 070 (or +4470) which are non-geographic business numbers.
- Visit the
house you intend to rent – Meet the landlord there to confirm that the
property is bona fide. Be suspicious of anyone who refuses to let you visit the
property. Also ask for copies of tenancy agreements and any safety certificates
such as Gas, Electricity or HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) License.
-
Ask the Landlord for ID – If you have any
suspicions, ask to see their driving license to establish they are who they say
they are.
-
Do not proceed if asked to transfer money
via money transfer agents such as Western Union, Money Gram or Paysafe –The safest way to make a payment is at the letting
agent’s office by credit card and make sure you are given a formal signed
contract before any money changes hands.
-
Check to see if the owner is a
member of rental schemes - Look for accreditation
membership such as National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS), Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or Association of Residential Letting Agents
(ARLA).
-
Protect your deposit – When a deposit is
taken other than a “holding deposit”, the money must be paid into a Government
approved deposit scheme. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/private-renting
-
Use your common sense – If the property is too
cheap and looks fantastic then it’s probably too good to be true.
Back to top
|
 Identity theft occurs when your personal identification information
is used without your knowledge or permission. Criminals use it to obtain credit
cards, products and services, loans and mortgages and commit other types of
fraudulent or even criminal acts in your name, leaving you to pick up the pieces and show you are not responsible.
Trading Standards advise that students living
in accommodation with a communal entrance and shared mailboxes are at a high
risk as it is easy for post to fall into the wrong hands. One bank statement is
all a potential fraudster needs to commit identity theft.
Identity thieves don't just steal your money; they steal your
name and reputation for their own financial gain. This can seriously jeopardise
your financial future.
Keep yourself safe from identity theft; never throw away entire
bills, receipts, credit or debit card slips, bank statements or even unwanted
post in your name. Instead destroy them, preferably by shredding them before
placing in the bin.
If you think that you may be a victim of
identity theft contact one of the credit reference agencies listed below for a
free ‘victim of fraud’ service. The Agency will contact lenders on your behalf
where fraudulent applications have been made or fraudulent credit accounts
opened in order to restore your credit history to its former state.
Back to
top
|
 Trading Standards warn of bogus jobs aimed at
students that are being advertised on genuine job websites or classified
adverts in the press and online.
These are often advertised as ‘money transfer’
or ‘payment processing’ agents in finance, shipping or sales, and will state
that no experience is required
Any offer of large amounts of cash for very little work or no prior
experience could indicate a fraudulent scheme.
In reality, this is no more than money
laundering and the student is being used as a Money Mule. The ‘job’ involves
the participant receiving money into their own personal bank account and
transferring it to another account overseas, keeping a cut for themselves.
People who become involved
could have their bank accounts frozen and all of the money involved will be seized from your account. If prosecuted you could face a prison sentence of up to ten
years.
Trading Standards advise that Financial
Fraud Action provides some useful information on how people can spot money
mules, with examples of adverts criminals use, and how you can keep best
protect this and other online scams.
NEVER give your bank details to anyone unless
you know and trust them and even then be cautious.
Back to top
|
 There is another email phishing campaign reported to be aimed at
students of UK universities.
The email purports to have come from the Finance Department of
the student’s university and claims that the student has been awarded an
educational grant by the Department of Education.
The email attempts to trick the recipient into clicking on a
link contained in the message to provide personal and bank details.
One victim who submitted their sensitive information (including
name, address, date of birth, contact details, telephone provider, bank account
details, student ID, National Insurance Number, driving licence number and
mother’s maiden name), was then asked to clink on another link which took them
to a spoofed website which appeared like a genuine website of their bank; once
there they were asked to type in their online banking login credentials.
How to protect yourself
- Do not click on any
links or open attachments contained within unsolicited emails.
- If an email appears to
have come from a person or organisation you know of but the message is
unexpected or unusual, contact them directly via another method to confirm that
they sent you the email.
- If you receive an email
which asks you to login to an online account via a link provided in the email,
instead of clicking on the link, open your browser and go directly to the
company’s website yourself.
- If you have clicked on a
link in the email, do not supply any information on the website that may open.
-
If you think you may
have compromised the safety of your bank details and/or have lost money due to
fraudulent misuse of your cards, you should immediately contact your bank,
and report it to Action Fraud.
Back to top
|
For
more information on scams, visit: www.coventry.gov.uk/scams
|
