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Advice on Recognising and Reporting Scams
Staying safe is an important part of living and studying in a new country - including staying safe from scammers. Scammers often target international students because they are unfamiliar with local processes, such as finding housing and employment. Scammers will also frequently evoke a sense of insecurity about an individual’s immigration status to create anxiety and make their demands seem urgent.
The International Student Advisory Service has created this guide to help you recognise common scams, understand the warning signs and know what to do if something feels suspicious.
This guide provides practical steps that you can take to protect yourself from scammers. It also includes information on the support available from the University and external agencies if you have concerns or have been affected by a scam.
Information on Scams
A scam is a dishonest plan to trick someone for financial or personal gain. It involves fraudulent, deceptive, or illegal behaviour intended to obtain money, property, or personal information.
Common ways people can be scammed include:
Impersonation scams: This is when someone impersonates an organisation such as UKVI, the police, a bank, or another official body and demands payment or personal information. These scams often create a strong sense of urgency - for example, by threatening immediate visa withdrawal or legal consequences - to pressure the individual into paying quickly.
Phishing messages: Scammers may send emails, texts, WhatsApp messages, or direct messages on social media that appear genuine but contain malicious links or request login details.
SIM card scams: Scammers may use SIM cards to facilitate their scams. In these scenarios, scammers hand out SIM cards and then use the numbers on them to send fraudulent messages and facilitate further scams. In some cases, individuals have received SIM cards from visa application centres and have later been targeted with scam calls and messages threatening their visa status unless they complied with demands. Always obtain SIM cards from a trusted source, such as from retail stores of recognised mobile providers. A member of the ISAS team can also provide you with a SIM card.
Rental and accommodation fraud: Scammers may pose as landlords or agents and advertise fake properties online, asking for deposits before you arrive in Northern Ireland or can view the property in person. These listings are often priced below typical rental rates to make the offer more attractive. Once a deposit is made, the scammers will then cut off all contact.
Recruitment scams: Scammers may post fake job adverts or pose as recruiters to collect personal details or request upfront payments, such as training fees or visa-related costs. They may also offer unusually high salaries or guaranteed jobs to encourage individuals to share personal information or send money.
Online marketplace scams: These scams involve items advertised for sale that either don’t exist or aren't delivered after payment.
Payment or money transfer scams: These scams involve being asked to transfer money or being pressured to pay through unusual methods (such as gift cards or cryptocurrency). They can also include financial incentives designed to trick individuals into transferring money that is never returned - for example, ‘fee-free’ international transfers, better-than-market exchange rates, limited-time discounts, or promises of investment returns.
Romance scams: Romance scammers build online relationships with individuals, gaining their trust and forming an emotional connection over time before asking for money or financial assistance. They often create a sense of dependency or urgency - for example, by claiming they are facing a sudden personal emergency or need help with unexpected travel or medical costs - making the person they are targeting feel pressured to help or support them financially.
Scammers often use panic and urgency to target people, making it difficult for them to pause, verify information, or seek advice. To help you quickly recognise the warning signs, the word SCAM can remind you of four common clues that something isn’t genuine and could be a scam attempt.
Seems too good to be true.
Contacted out of the blue.
Asked for personal details
Money is requested
Reporting a scam is an important step in protecting yourself and others. If something doesn’t seem right, or if you think you may have shared information or money with a scammer, it’s important to act promptly. This section outlines who to contact and the steps you can take to help you navigate the reporting process with clarity and confidence.
Reporting in an emergency
- Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger or risk of harm
Reporting to the police
- Call 101
- Report online at Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040
Reporting suspicious messages
- You can report suspicious texts or calls to 7726
- See more information and guidance here
Financial safety
- Contact your bank immediately if you have sent money or shared your financial details.
Other Supports
- Consumerline: A one-stop shop offering free help and advice to Northern Ireland consumers, including advice on avoiding scams, making a complaint, and staying informed with consumer law.
If you have been a victim of a scam, please know that you are never alone, and it is never too late to report. Help is always available, and reporting a scam will not affect your visa or your position at Ulster University.
No, reporting a scam will not put your visa at risk.
The University encourages you to report any suspicious activity because doing so protects you and other students. Scammers often use fear, such as threats to visas, to pressure people into paying their demands. For example, they may claim there are urgent legal consequences, pretend you are in trouble with immigration, or say your visa will be cancelled unless you act immediately. These tactics are designed to create panic, so you don’t have time to think, verify the information, or seek advice.
Threats made to your visa status are false and have no impact on your student visa. The University will not penalise you for being targeted by scammers.
If you are unsure about anything you’ve received, or if you have been a victim of the scam, you can contact the International Student Advisory Service, who can provide you with confidential support without any risk to your visa.
Situation, Clues, Action, Message (SCAM) Case Studies
Situation:
Penny receives a phone call from a premium-rate number, and the caller claims to be an officer from the Home Office. The caller claims that her details have been linked to an ‘ongoing criminal investigation’ and tells her she must pay a fine immediately to avoid the cancellation of her student visa. She is unsure whether the call is genuine and hesitates to respond, but the caller becomes more persistent, and she begins to panic about her visa status.
Clues:
- The call came from a premium-rate number.
- The caller insisted that Penny was involved in an ‘ongoing criminal investigation’ and made threats regarding visa cancellation without any official documentation or written evidence.
- The caller created a strong sense of urgency, demanding immediate payment.
- The caller requested payment over the phone, which UKVI will never do.
Action:
- Stay calm.
- Do not pay any money or provide personal information.
- End the call immediately, block the number, and avoid re-engaging.
- Report the call to Action Fraud
Message:
UKVI will never call you to demand money, threaten fines, or accuse you of criminal activity over the phone. If your visa sponsorship is ever at risk, this will be communicated through official University and/or UKVI channels, not through unexpected calls or messages. If you are ever unsure, contact the International Student Advisory Service or the Student Visa and Immigration Support Service for guidance.
Situation:
George finds what appears to be an ideal room for rent on a social media website. The price is much lower than that of similar properties in the area, which makes the offer even more appealing. The landlord tells George that the room is ‘in high demand’ and that he must pay a deposit immediately via direct bank transfer to secure it - even though George has not yet arrived in the UK and cannot view the property. Wanting to sort accommodation before travelling, George sends the deposit through a direct bank transfer. After payment, the landlord stops replying, and the online listing disappears.
Clues:
- The property was advertised only on a social media website, with no link to a registered letting agent.
- The price was significantly lower than normal rates, making it seem like a ‘too good to miss’ deal.
- The ‘landlord’ pressured George to pay a deposit before arriving in the UK or viewing the room.
- The ‘landlord’ asked George to send a deposit through a direct bank transfer, an unsecured payment method commonly used in rental scams.
- After the payment was made, all contact suddenly stopped, and the listing disappeared from the social media page.
Action:
- Stay calm.
- Report the interaction to Action Fraud
- Report the scam to your bank
Message:
Rental scams often present offers that seem too good to be true, such as prices that are significantly cheaper than normal or pressure to pay a deposit before you arrive in the UK. Genuine landlords will never ask you to send money through an unsecured method like a direct bank transfer before you have viewed the property or signed a legitimate tenancy agreement. If you are ever unsure, stop communication and seek advice from the International Student Advisory Service.
