Students warned not to click on fake loan email that could hand your bank details to scammers
The email looks like it's from the Student Loans Company but there's some obvious things that give it away
UNIVERSITY students are being warned not to fall for a phishing scam that claims to be from the Student Loans Company.
Fraudsters are targeting young people in the lead up to the new academic year with an email that claims that Student Loans Company accounts have been suspended due to incomplete information.
The email from tricksters urges the recipient to update their details using a web link that is provided, which leads to a fake website aimed at harvesting personal information.
But there are some obvious clangers which give away that it is a scam.
These include spelling errors and the email is sent to a generic address.
Anyone who clicks on the links in the email are directed to a copycat website where they are encouraged to enter their details.
The City of London Police and Action Fraud have issued a warning to students ahead of the new academic year.
“This phishing email displays a number of tell-tale signs of a scam including spelling and grammar errors," said detective chief inspector Andy Fyfe of the City of London Police.
"As the new university year begins, we are urging people to be especially cautious of emails that request personal details. Always contact your bank if you believe you have fallen victim to a scam.”
According to Action Fraud, the scammers are targeting current university students as well as new students who may not be aware of the how the Student Loan Company works.
Paul Mason from the Student Loans Company, said: "We will never request a student’s personal or banking details by email or text message.
"We want to remind students to stay vigilant with the details they provide online and to be mindful of the personal information about themselves they post online and on social media too."
Only last month, Natwest customers were warned by the anti-fraud agency not to follow a link emailed to them asking to verify their personal details.
Action Fraud urges people not to assume that all emails are from who they say they are.
The agency aimed at stopping the cyber crime advises users not to follow any links in suspicious looking emails and to check the authenticity of the email by contacting the company itself - and not by hitting reply.
BLOCK IT OUT How to permanently get rid of spam and unwanted emails, texts and phone calls
Search for the customer services number using a search engine in a new browser, and call the company directly.
Action Fraud also advises people to be wary of emails that ask you to make a payment, log in to an online account or offers you a deal.
How to spot signs of student loan scams
REMEMBER to look out for these tell-tale signs that an email might not be genuine.
- Poor spelling and grammar is a key sign that an email is fraudulent. Phishing emails may use odd spellings or capital letters randomly, eg. cApiTals, to fool your spam filter
- If the email doesn't address you by your name, eg. 'To our valued customer', then it is likely to be from a scammer
- When a fraudulent email asks you to follow a link or respond, the website or email address usually doesn’t look right. Authentic website addresses are usually short and don’t use irrelevant words or phrases
- Check the email address of the sender. Businesses and organisations don’t use web-based addresses such as Gmail or Yahoo
Real banks will never email you for passwords or any other sensitive information by clicking on a link and visiting a website, it said.
If you get a call from someone who claims to be from your bank, don't give away any personal details.
Make sure your spam filter is on your emails. If you find a suspicious email, mark it as spam and delete it to keep out similar emails in future.
If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, Action Fraud is urging you to get in touch on 0300 123 2040 or online at .
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