Students and those going back to university have been warned about what fraud types are most affecting young people. According to Action Fraud, almost 69,000 reports were received from people aged between 11 and 29, losing a total of ยฃ143.7m in 2023.
Adam Mercer, Deputy Director of Action Fraud, said: โEveryone starting the new university or school year should be able to focus on new exciting experiences and meeting new people, but we know this is not the case for some. Young people can be a primary target for fraudsters.
โItโs important to look out for these top frauds and for students to protect themselves online, as well as in-person, from different types of fraud. By remaining cautious about contact with someone you donโt know, or being wary of purchasing online from unfamiliar websites, you can help prevent yourself from being a victim of fraud.
โIf you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.โ
By amount of loss collated by Action Fraud, the police reporting service, the largest is investment fraud; quick-wins and available cash offered through cryptocurrency or schemes with a promise of high return investment, usually advertised online and on social media. Other frauds involve fake jobs (students might be asked for an up-front payment for a fake consultation or extra help finding a job); rental fraud (fraudsters ask students to pay fees in advance without seeing a property first, which might not exist or might not belong to the fraudster); online shopping fraud (fake websites or replicate legitimate online stores to trick customers into providing their personal and financial information for a purchase that isnโt real) and ticket fraud.
Among pieces of advice, Action Fraud says avoid paying via bank transfer and donโt be pressured into transferring large sums of money. Any trusted business or body will not force you to transfer money on the spot and only a fraudster will try to rush you. For making purchases online, use a credit card if you can. Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts or contact on social media: whether good deals on concert tickets seem too good to be true, or a suspicious rental property advertised, always check the authenticity of what you are going to buy online before making a purchase or paying up-front fees.
You can report suspicious emails by forwarding them to: [email protected]; and report suspicious text messages or spam calls free to 7726. For more tips on student safety, visit: actionfraud.police.uk/studentsafety.
As background, according to the official advertising campaign Stop! Think Fraud, fraud accounts for almost 40 per cent of all crime. According to the UK’s official crime survey, one in 17 adults in England and Wales were victims of fraud last year. Visit https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/are-you-at-risk/.
