The UK is the second most popular destination in the world for international students. This means there is a huge potential for fraudsters to target international students. Fraud and scams primarily against Chinese students are well heard of in the West Midlands and will remain a prevalent issue unless students are well informed. One of the most recent astonishing cases occurred at the University of Manchester, where a student lost £72,000 in a scam. The scam works through phone calls where the scammer will claim they are a police officer from Shanghai. The fraudsters are authoritative and persistent and will not give up until the payment requested has been transferred. They will claim the Chinese student has sent illegal products oversea. The consequences of not complying to the scammers demands for payment will range from a late fee notice to a 10-year travel ban. In fear of the consequences, as well as feeling vulnerable in an unfamiliar society many students are following the orders of the scammers.

This is not the only scam which is prevalent amongst university students. Another scam to be aware of is the claim there is a problem with a student’s visa. The fraudster will appear as the Home Office either through a phone call or an email. The fraudster will claim the issue with the visa means that the student will need to pay a fine. The fine varies between £1,200 – £1520, which will only increase with persistent refusal. The fraudster will claim the consequence of not paying the sum is that they will report the student to the Home Office or the police. In addition, it should be noted the fraudsters can also appear as an education agent, such as UKCISA.

It is important for students to be aware of fraudulent calls or emails. Here are a few things that should be noted to ensure you are not the next victim.

• Firstly, the home office will never ring you and ask you to disclose your personal information or demand you to pay a charge 

• If you are an international student you should never share any personal information including your passport, visa, bank details and home address

• If you have been phoned and feel uneasy report this to the UK Action Fraud or the Student Union 

The West Midlands is a diverse community with many international students. International students enrich the learning environment of many campuses across the West Midlands. As well as contributing to businesses and the local economy while many study in the UK. Therefore, it is essential that international students are supported, firstly by the university, but also by members of society. This is necessary to ensure students are knowledgeable and therefore safe against scams. But also ensures that the prevalence of scams do not act as a deterrent for studying in the UK.