Protecting yourself from scams

students studying on computer in catalyst

Scams can affect even the savviest of individuals. Being clued up is great. But scammers are constantly changing how they target individuals to try to catch you out.

It’s important to be vigilant, especially in a university environment where scammers may pose as the university or organisations connected to Higher Education, such as Student Finance or UCAS.

Understanding how scams work, how to spot them and protect yourself is key. Here’s what to do and look out for if you think you have been targeted.

Types of scams and how to spot them

Phishing

Phishing is when scammers impersonate reputable organisations in an attempt to trick you and steal sensitive information. This could be through your email account, social media, SMS or phone call. Be cautious of unwanted requests for personal data.

Money mules

These scams involve transferring money through bank accounts in exchange for a fee. It’s a type of money laundering, and students are frequent targets. Money mule scams often present themselves through job ads or direct messages on social media.

Phone scams

Be wary of any phone calls or text messages where someone is claiming to be from Edge Hill, asking for immediate payments to be made. Phone scams often align with when the individual has received money. This could be around paydays or, for students, when student finance payments are due.

Romance scams

Romance scammers often use dating sites and social media platforms to establish trust, then ask for personal data. Be cautious if the person seems ‘too perfect’. Or if they quickly try to move conversations off the platform or website.

How to protect yourself from scams

Be suspicious – If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If something doesn’t seem right, take a moment to think it over. Scammers often make you feel rushed or under pressure by giving you a limited time to respond (such as ‘within 24 hours’ or ‘immediately’). You never need to respond straight away. Take time to talk it through with someone you trust before responding.

Do your research – Is the message claiming to be from someone official? You should always research organisations before engaging. Even if you don’t suspect a scam, do a simple online search to verify their legitimacy.

Be cautious with links – If you receive a message via email or social media which includes a link, don’t click it unless you know for sure what it is. If the message seems suspicious, contact the sender directly before taking action. If you don’t know the sender, ignore the message and block the user.

Think before sending money – Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone. If a request appears out of the blue, take time to look into it. Scammers often exploit current news stories or specific times of the year to make scams seem more relevant to you. If unsure, contact the organisation directly, not through the original message. Edge Hill University will never contact you and ask for a payment to be made. If you receive a request, contact the Money Advice Team.

Protect your personal information – Scammers will try and find out as much as they can in an attempt to build trust with you, or steal your information. Make sure your social media accounts are private and refrain from sharing sensitive information unnecessarily.

Check for mistakes – Quite often scammers make mistakes. Spotting spelling or grammatical mistakes can help you identify a scam. Look carefully at the sender’s email address using a variation that may look legitimate.

Make your accounts secure – Both inside and outside the University, using different passwords for different accounts is a great way to increase your security. This will help prevent a scammer from hacking into multiple accounts. It’s also recommended to not use your EHU email address for personal purposes. This helps keep your personal and university accounts separate and more secure should you need to reset your passwords.

How to report a scam to the University

Students

If you believe your Edge Hill University IT account has been compromised:

Immediately contact the Catalyst Helpdesk at [email protected] and inform [email protected].
Change your password(s) using ehu.ac.uk/reset.

For further guidance whilst waiting for our response, or for handling this problem with accounts with other providers, see the National Cyber Security Centre advice on recovering a hacked account.

In addition, if you suspect you’ve been involved in a money-related scam, or fallen victim to one, please also:

Contact the Money Advice Team at [email protected] and inform [email protected].
Check your bank statements and online shopping accounts.
Contact Action Fraud.

For additional support with related enquiries, you can visit the Catalyst Helpdesk on campus or email the team at [email protected]. If you need to reset your EHU password, you can do this by visiting ehu.ac.uk/reset.

Further information, advice and support is available from:

Visit the Money Advice webpages

Book an appointment through the Money Advice portal

Staff

If you are a member of staff seeking support with phishing-related enquiries, please visit the IT Services SharePoint site or contact the team at [email protected].

Ask for help

Remember, if you fall victim to a scam, it isn’t something to be ashamed of. What’s important is asking for help, reporting the situation, and finding out what to do next. For more information, please visit our keeping your money safe webpage or visit the National Cyber Security Centre and Action Fraud.

October 17, 2024