How To Protect Teenagers and Young Adults at University From Scams
Practical ways to help a teenager or young adult starting university or independent life to recognise and avoid the scams most likely to target them.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Moving into independence is an exciting milestone — and scammers know it. Young adults at university or in their first jobs face a distinct mix of threats: fake accommodation listings, student grant phishing, task-based job scams, crypto investment pitches, and rental fraud. A supportive conversation before they go is worth far more than a lecture after something goes wrong.
The scams that most commonly target students
Certain scams specifically target the situation students find themselves in: fake rental listings for properties that don't exist, demanding a deposit before a viewing; tax or student loan phishing texts claiming a refund is owed and asking for bank details to release it; fake part-time job and reshipping offers that pay well for very little obvious work; and marketplace scams where payment is sent before goods arrive. Knowing these formats in advance makes the conversation feel relevant and credible rather than a generic 'be careful online' warning, because you can point to the exact situation where they're actually likely to encounter one, rather than leaving them to recognise an abstract risk on their own.
- Fake rental listings that collect a deposit before the student has ever visited
- Phishing emails impersonating their university or student loan provider
- Task-based job scams offering easy money for online 'micro-tasks' that turn into crypto investment traps
- Fake scholarship or grant notifications asking for bank details
- Social media investment or 'passive income' pitches from apparent peers
Starting the conversation without lecturing
Young adults heading into independent life respond far better to being treated as capable people receiving useful, practical intelligence than to being warned as though they're naive — the framing matters as much as the content. Rather than a single sit-down 'talk', mention specific things as they come up naturally: sending a link to a real rental scam story before they start flat-hunting, or a quick text when a new scam format starts doing the rounds on campus. Ask what they've already heard from friends, since students often share these warnings among themselves faster than any official source. Making clear you're a safe, non-judgemental person to call if something goes wrong matters more than any single piece of advice.
- Share a real example of a student scam as a story, not a warning
- Ask what they already know — it shows respect and reveals gaps
- Focus on one or two practical rules, not a long list
- Agree a 'phone a family member first' rule for any big financial decision
Practical safety habits
A small number of concrete habits cover most of the scams students actually encounter. Never pay a deposit or view a property without meeting the landlord or agent in person or on a verified video call, and check the agent is registered with the relevant professional body before handing over any money. Treat any unsolicited text about a refund or loan repayment with suspicion, and go directly to the official website rather than clicking the link provided. For part-time work, be wary of any job that pays unusually well for minimal effort or asks you to forward parcels or payments through your own account. Setting up two-factor authentication before term starts closes off much of the risk.
- Never pay a rental deposit without visiting the property or using a reputable agent
- Verify any job offer by researching the company independently before providing documents
- Check student loan and grant communications only via official portals
- If a financial opportunity sounds too easy, it almost certainly is
Conversation script
“I saw something about a fake job scam that was targeting students this year — a friend's kid nearly got caught out. Have you ever come across anything like that?”
“Before you go, let's just agree: if anyone ever asks for a deposit before you can see a flat, or offers you easy online work that involves moving money — just call me first.”
“You're smart and you'll recognise most of these, but scammers are genuinely clever. Let's just agree on a rule that there's never any embarrassment in pausing and checking.”
Frequently asked questions
My teenager thinks they are too savvy to be scammed — how do I get through to them?
Share a real example of a peer being scammed rather than warning them directly. Framing it as 'this caught out someone who knew what they were doing' lands better than 'you might fall for this'. Savvy people get scammed precisely because they feel confident — that confidence is what scammers exploit.
Are there any tools I can set up to help protect them?
Encourage two-factor authentication on all accounts, a password manager, and scam-call filtering on their phone. For banking, agree a rule that large or unusual transactions are mentioned to family. These are tools, not surveillance — frame them that way.