Frauds and scams

Some criminals specifically target international students, telephoning them and pretending to be from a legitimate organisation (such as the UK Home Office, an education agent or even UKCISA). They demand money (calling it a "fine" for a non-existent immigration problem), and claim that if you do not pay them quickly, there will be damaging consequences (for example, deportation or cancelling your visa).

Recently UKCISA has had reports of students being targeted by fake calls purporting to be from the Home Office, demanding action or threatening huge fines. They have even created a phone number to call back which sounds as if it is a genuine Home Office number.  

Some students become criminals themselves when they allow money from unknown sources to pass through their bank accounts. Read about the dangers of money laundering. 

If you think you've been targeted please speak to your International Office at your university or contact Action Fraud to report it. 

Is it fraud?

Some scammers are particularly advanced and difficult to identify. You can help protect yourself by being aware of the common features of these scams: 

  • The caller or author may appear to be genuine and convincing, because they have some limited information about you (for example, your passport number, as well as your telephone number and name). 
  • The scammer may give you their name and telephone number, to try to convince you they are genuine. 
  • They may say that there is a serious problem with your immigration status, and that you need to pay a fine, or send a payment. 
  • The payment is, most commonly, demanded to be made via Western Union as soon as possible, supposedly to prevent further action or investigation by the UK Home Office. 
  • The caller will speak in dramatic terms, perhaps talking about deportation or cancelling your visa.  This is a common fraudster's technique, to make you panic and become pressurised into paying the fake fine. 

I think I’ve been contacted by a scammer, how should I respond?

Last modified: 18 September 2024

If you receive a call, email, text or message that seems suspicious, we advise as follows: 

  • Do not give the caller/sender any personal information, and do not confirm that any information they have is correct. 
  • Do not make any payment. The Home Office does not issue financial penalties. Nor does UKCISA. 
  • You may wish to tell the caller/sender that you know about the fraudulent contact they are making, and that you will be reporting it to the police and the Home Office. Or you may simply wish to hang up. 
  • Report the incident to your international student adviser, who can advise on reporting the fraud to the police and to the Home Office if you wish. 

If you wish, you can report the matter online to Action Fraud. 

You can also help other potential victims of this fraud by adding details of your experience to a discussion about this specific fraud on the Who Calls Me website. 

What else should I do if I think I’ve been targeted by a scammer?

Last modified: 18 September 2024

For more information, please see the Frauds, Tricks and Scams webpage at Gov.uk. This gives further details on the ways that scammers operate. 

It can be really worrying if you think you’ve been scammed; if you think you’ve been targeted please visit your insitution’s welfare service or talk to your International Student Adviser.  

© 2024 UK Council for International Student Affairs

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