The freshers' guide to dodging student scams

Recent attacks have already left student and staff data compromised. Students have been targeted directly by scammers pretending to be a bank or university, while university platforms and sites are also vulnerable. 

Most scams rely on catching people off guard. That’s why familiarising where and when common student scams happen, adopting simple security habits, and putting healthy cyber routines in place from day one, can help students prepare for their first years of independence. 

Common Scams Targeting New Students Across the Capital

Fake accommodation scams

Fraudsters advertise properties that may not even exist on platforms such as SpareRoom and Facebook. Unsurprisingly, Greater London consistently records tenancy fraud rates around double the national average, making it the UK’s highest‑risk region for rental fraud. A recent BBC investigation found a flat scam in Poplar, East London,  where more than 20 would‑be tenants, many students, were told to pay months' rent upfront plus deposits, only to find no keys on moving day. 

Fraudsters tend to target areas near popular campuses or well-connected tube and overground stops, where international and first-year students compete hardest for affordable housing.

To stay safe, deposits should never be paid before a legitimate contract has been seen and the landlord or agency verified. Students are also advised to ask for legally required documents such as gas safety certificates, and to check that the rent is typical for the area.

Bank scam calls

The city’s biggest universities, from UCL and King's College London to Queen Mary, frequently issue early-term fraud warnings as thousands of young people set up UK bank accounts.

These new student bank accounts will see an uptick in calls claiming to be from a bank's fraud team. Real banks will never ask a customer to move money to a "safe account" or read out a one-time passcode over the phone. 

In the UK, you can safely report and verify the call by dialling 159 (the direct, secure hotline connecting to most major UK bank fraud departments) or contacting the phone number printed on the back of your bank card.

Fee payment scams

For international students in particular, moving to London can mean navigating UK university fees, student finance and visa requirements for the first time. Fraudsters pose as government agencies demanding payment for a fake "international student tariff," sometimes threatening visas. Others offer discounted fee payments or send fake university emails requesting payment or new bank details. 

These scams can be particularly convincing when they coincide with genuine payment deadlines. Over the last academic year, £519,000 was lost to fraudsters who targeted nearly 200 students through fake texts, calls and emails impersonating the Student Loans Company (SLC).

Financial details should never be shared without the institution first being verified. This means contacting the university or SLC directly through their official website. Genuine institutions won't pressure you to act immediately, and any request for payment via bank transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency should be treated as an instant red flag.

Fake job offers

London’s part-time job market is often a target for criminals. With rising living costs and many students looking for flexible work, fake job adverts can be particularly enticing. 

Posted sometimes using compromised university emails, these scammers work by asking for upfront fees for visas, training, or equipment, promising reimbursement that never comes. 

Another version of this is money muling, where scammers recruit people to move money through their bank accounts or through cash withdrawals. This is usually disguised as a job or quick-cash opportunity. Even if victims don't know the money is illegally obtained, they can still face serious consequences like a frozen or closed bank account, lasting damage to university places or even prosecution. 

Genuine employers never ask candidates to pay for a job, and bank details should never be shared before an offer has been verified.

How students can stay safe

Scams work by catching people off guard, and a fresher juggling a busy city, a new bank account and a full email inbox is exactly the target scammers are counting on. The good news is that staying safe doesn't require expert knowledge, just a few habits worth packing alongside the laundry bags and extension cables.

Healthy cyber safety habits

It’s time to retire old passwords from Year 9. Using the same password for student portal logins, banking apps and Netflix means one leaked account gives a scammer the keys to all of them. A password manager can take the strain, or at minimum a unique password should be used for anything money-related.

Extra caution with QR codes and event tickets

QR codes are another quiet risk around the city. Rental bike docks and e-scooter parking bays, including Lime bikes, have had reports of fraudulent stickers placed over genuine QR codes. Before scanning, check that the code isn't a fake sticker placed on top. If in doubt, open the official app directly rather than scanning at all.

The same instinct also applies when buying tickets. With London's nightlife and gig scene being a big draw, stick to official club websites or established platforms like Fatsoma when buying tickets. 

Public wifi safety

Connecting to wifi in halls, libraries and underground stations means sharing a network with hundreds of strangers; not every "Campus_WiFi_Guest123" network is what it claims to be. Scammers can set up fake hotspots with seemingly identical names to intercept online activity, like checking bank balances or using social media. It’s best to confirm the exact network name with accommodation or library staff before connecting, and avoid doing anything sensitive, like shopping, on a public network.

Downloading a reliable VPN is another great way to protect yourself when browsing online. Once your VPN is active, your data travels inside a tunnel, protecting it from people on the same network. Hackers and even your internet service provider can only see scrambled traffic, not any personal information. Even for students on a budget, a well-designed free VPN that doesn’t record logs does the job. 

A checklist for your new home

Moving means devices, deliveries and admin all at once, and each one is an opportunity for something to go wrong. It’s important to set up multi-factor authentication on every device, not just a phone. People are legally required to have a TV licence to stream live TV, even on a laptop, and scammers exploit confusion around this. Students can check the official TV licensing website to follow the right steps. 

If students take the time to lock down the basics early, the rest of first year can be all about everything London does best: the nights out, the new friendships, and the city itself.