Staying fraud smart at UoB

Whilst you're studying with us at UoB it’s important that you’re aware of potential risks to your cyber-safety. Scammers can come in lots of different forms, even impersonating the university to access your information.

What to look out for

You might receive emails, text messages, or social media messages asking you to take urgent action which often includes sharing personal information or transferring money quickly. Scams may impersonate trusted organisations like your bank or the government.

Never open any links or attachments unless they come from a trusted source- scammers are getting smarter and it can be hard to recognise if an email or call is genuine, or if someone is trying to scam you. Here's some advice from the National Cyber Security Centre on how to spot a scam email, text message or call.

You can familiarise yourself with the different types of scams on our scams advice page.

How to protect yourself

• Do not give any personal information (name, address, bank details, email or phone number) to organisations or people before verifying their credentials. Instead, contact the organisation such as your bank or the university directly using trusted and reputable channels. You'll find telephone numbers for your bank on the back of your bank card. Contact details for the university can be found on this webpage.
• Only share information on secure websites. These show a locked padlock or unbroken key in your browser and have ‘https//’ in the URL.
• Consider using a reputable web browser like Chrome or Firefox, which have filters for detecting fake websites.

Taking action

If you receive a phone call or email you think may be a scam, don’t share any personal information or transfer any money. You can directly contact the organisation (look them up online if you’re unsure) to check if the call or email is genuine.

If you think you’ve been scammed, remain calm and cut off communication with the scammer. You can report scams to the Community Safety Team, located at North Gate, open Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm. They are a friendly team who can support and help you with the reporting process. Read more on what to do if you've been scammed.

If you’ve transferred money or shared your bank details, contact your bank’s fraud department immediately.

We're here for you

If you need help or advice about staying cyber-safe, contact the IT Services department. Or you can speak to our friendly Community Safety Team at the Community Safety Hub, anytime from 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday; they can help guide you through what to do next.

For emotional support, visit our Time to Talk? to find out more about our talking services such as UBHeard. You could also get in touch with Guild Advice at the Guild of Students.

Together let's stay ahead of the fraudsters and be prepared.