Protecting Students from Cyber Crime and Fraud: The University Student Guide
As thousands of students prepare to start or return to university this autumn, fraudsters and cyber criminals will be looking for opportunities to exploit the excitement and uncertainty that often comes with a new term.
Moving to a new city, arranging accommodation, managing finances and building new social networks can create opportunities for criminals to target students. Whether you're a student, parent, guardian, friend or family member, understanding the risks can help prevent cyber crime and fraud.
Criminals use a wide range of tactics to steal your money or obtain personal information that can be used later in a fraud attempt. They operate on websites and apps, by email, text, phone, post or in person, including on your doorstep.
Students are also frequently targeted through phishing emails, text messages and social media messages. These communications may appear to come from trusted organisations such as universities, banks, delivery companies or student finance providers. Their aim is to steal personal information, passwords or banking details.
What can you do to protect yourself from cyber crime and fraud? These simple steps can make a big difference:
- Be cautious of unexpected messages asking for personal or financial information.
- Secure your accounts, especially your email and bank account.
- Use passkeys over passwords wherever they are available. Where unavailable, use strong passwords, for example generated by a password manager, and enable 2-step verification (2SV).
- Keep devices updated with the latest security and software updates.
- Back up your important data and check your account recovery options.
Cyber crime and fraud can affect anyone, but awareness remains one of the strongest forms of protection. By recognising common tactics and talking openly about potential risks, we can help students enjoy a safe and successful university experience.
To support students and their families, Report Fraud has produced a practical guide packed with advice, real-world examples and simple steps that students can take to protect themselves online and offline throughout university life.
Read the University Students Booklet here.
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