The Student Loans Company (SLC) is warning students to be aware of scams, as the new academic year gets underway.
As student loans land and tuition fee deadlines approach, opportunistic scammers may target you by text, phone and email. Scammers may ask you to pay money over the phone, or send links via text and email to gain access to your personal information.
How scammers try to gain your trust
There are lots of ways scammers will attempt to gain your trust, such as:
- Pretending to be staff from the University, your bank or the SLC.
- Pretending to be government officials or authority figures, such as local police.
- Mentioning some of your personal details, such as the name of your bank and other services you use.
- Inviting you to check their name and credentials online to try and legitimise their identity.
- Trying to get further personal information from you, so they can access your account themselves.
How to spot a scam
- Look for tell-tale signs of phishing like poor spelling, bad grammar and indirect address like ‘Dear student’
- Anything that conveys a false sense of urgency is a red flag, e.g. ‘failure to respond in 24 hours means your account will be closed’
- Think before you click and don’t click links you’re unsure about
For more guidance, check our article Common scams & fraud; get to know them and how to avoid them.
What to do if you receive a scam call or text message
If you receive an unexpected call from someone claiming to be from King’s or from a bank and asking for money, do not make any payment or provide personal or banking information. You should instead end the call immediately and contact your bank to inform them. You should also make a formal report to Action Fraud.
You can also let us know that this has happened by email or phone, using the details below:
- Email: Credit.Control@kcl.ac.uk
- Phone: +44 (0)20 7848 3279
We recommend updating your Student Finance password, ensuring that a unique, secure password is used and checking that your bank details in the system are correct.
If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam and need support, read this article for further information: I think I've been targeted by a scam, what should I do?