Seasonal warning: Student loan, scholarship and accommodation scams at term start
As a new academic year approaches, scams targeting students rise — including fake scholarships requiring fees, phishing for student loan credentials, and fraudulent accommodation listings.
The weeks around university enrolment and the start of term see a recurring spike in scams aimed at students. Common patterns include emails and social media posts advertising scholarships or bursaries that require an upfront administration fee or personal financial details to 'claim' — there is no scholarship, and any fee paid is lost.
Student loan phishing messages impersonate loan bodies or universities, directing students to fake login pages to harvest credentials or banking information. Separately, fraudulent accommodation listings — sometimes copied from legitimate sites — collect deposits for rooms that are unavailable or non-existent.
Students are a frequent target because they may be handling larger financial transactions than usual for the first time, are under time pressure, and may be unfamiliar with local processes. Official bodies never ask for fees to access funds you are entitled to, and loan providers will never ask for your credentials via email or text.
What to do
- Never pay an upfront fee to claim a scholarship, grant, or loan
- Access student loan accounts only via the official provider's website
- Verify accommodation by visiting in person or video call before paying a deposit
- Check university communications through official email domains
- Report suspicious scholarship or loan messages to your institution