Keeping you cyber safe
Cyber criminals can use a variety of methods to try and steal your personal information and take your money. Whether you’re using a computer or a mobile device, it’s important you’re aware of the dangers.
Read on for how you can keep yourself cyber safe by being more aware of scams and how to protect yourself.
Recognise cyber scams
Cyber scams can take many forms. Phishing emails try to trick us into revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious software. These scams can pretend to be from the University or other trusted organisations like banks, the government or Student Loans. They often ask us to take urgent action.
It’s not just email though. It could be a text message, phone calls or social media. Always be wary of anything that asks you to click on a link, download attachments or provide sensitive personal information such as banking details or username and passwords. Most legitimate companies would never request this type of information from customers via email or by telephone.
For different types of scams and how you can avoid them including ‘plagiarism-free’ essays or assignments, tuition fee and student loans visit types of scams.
Be careful what you share online
Don’t make it easy for hackers. Cyber criminals can collect information about you from various social media platforms and use it to build up a profile of you to open credit cards in your name or get access to more of your personal information. Check your privacy settings on social media sites to make sure only friends can see your information.
How you can protect yourself
Make sure that you use official channels that you have checked, e.g. websites and phone numbers, to contact bodies like the university or government organisations.
If you receive a phone call and believe you are being scammed, ask for a number to call them back on and hang up. We'd then recommend searching for the number online for the organisation they claimed to be calling from to check the legitimacy of the call.
Only share your personal information with secure websites. These show a locked padlock or unbroken key in your browser and have ‘https//’ in their URL. It’s also best to use reputable web browsers like Chrome and Firefox while browsing in the UK, as these have filters that can detect fake web.
Keep your devices updated as software updates will often contain essential fixes to any security weaknesses.
Remain calm
If you think you’ve been scammed, try to remain calm and act quickly to cut off communications and report the situation to prevent the loss of any more information or money.
If you have given away any bank details, get in touch with your bank’s fraud team as soon as possible.
If you’re unsure about what to do next, contact the Community Safety Team located in the North Lodge at the top of the Green Heart as soon as possible. They can help you and guide you through the reporting process.
For further information read our advice on scams