Student Finance Scam Awareness
Source: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/wss/funding/moneymatters/makingmoney/slcscam/ Parent: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/wss/funding/
Student Finance Scam Awareness
Protect Yourself This Academic Year
Why It Matters
In September, SLC will pay out over £2.2 billion in maintenance loans to nearly 1 million students. Scammers are aware of this and often target students through:
- Smishing (fraudulent texts)
- Phishing (fake emails)
- Vishing( scam phone calls)
How to Spot a Scam
- Misspellings, poor punctuation and bad grammar are common in scam messages.
- Messages that try to rush you into bad decisions are unlikely to be real. For example, an email threatening to close your account if you don't reply within 24 hours.
- Beware of suspicious links within texts or emails. Always hover over links to see if the web address matches where it's supposed to go, and if in doubt, go directly to the webpage without using the link.
- Be especially cautious around the time you're expecting a payment, as this is when the scammers will be the most active.
- Scam messages are often sent in bulk and may not include your full name. Be wary of messages with generic greetings such as "Dear Student".
- Scammers may also use social media posts and direct messages to trick you into sharing personal information. Always use official phone numbers or your online account to check that communications are genuine.
How to Stay Safe
- Never share personal or financial information via email or text
- Use your online student finance account to verify communications
- Report suspicious messages to:
- Email: report@phishing.gov.uk
- Phone: 0300 100 0059
SLC Will Never......
- Ask for your bank details via email or text
- Contact you via WhatsApp or social media about your account or application
If your bank details are changed, SLC will send you an SMS to confirm. If you receive a message but haven't made any changes, log into your online account immediately to review your information.
Be mindful of what you share online. Scammers can use personal details like your name, date of birth, course info, or address to impersonate you and commit identity theft.
Further Information
Scams: how you can avoid them - GOV.UK