Warning of scam email targeting students

It has been reported that there is currently a scam email going around targeting students. The email is misleading students into thinking they have been awarded a university grant from the Department of Education (DoE) and asking them to submit their personal details. The email appears to look like it has come from a Keele or a Bristol University email address.

If you receive this email, please do not;

• Click on any links
• Reply to the email
• Open any attachments

Read 'Action Fraud's advice' for spotting a scam email;

• The sender’s email address doesn’t tally with the trusted organisation’s website address.
• The email is sent from a completely different address or a free web mail address.
• The email does not use your proper name, but uses a non-specific greeting like “dear customer”.
• A sense of urgency; for example the threat that unless you act immediately your account may be closed.
• A prominent website link. These can be forged or seem very similar to the proper address, but even a single character’s difference means a different website.
• A request for personal information such as user name, password or bank details.
• The email contains spelling and grammatical errors.
• You weren't expecting to get an email from the company that appears to have sent it.
• The entire text of the email is contained within an image rather than the usual text format.
• The image contains an embedded hyperlink to a bogus site.

More information about phishing emails and how to stay protected can be found on the Action Fraud website.