UK students are currently being targeted by scam callers asking for money to be paid over the phone. The scammers pretend to be members of King’s staff or from your bank and tell you your account has been compromised. The caller will try to persuade you to move your money into another account.
This is a scam. Although these calls may sound convincing, King’s will never contact students by phone to take any kind of payment, without sending an email first to let them know. Similarly, your bank will not contact you in this way and ask you to move your money.
How scammers try to gain your trust
There are lots of ways scammers will attempt to gain your trust, such as:
- Pretending to be staff from the University or your bank.
- Mentioning some of your personal details, such as the name of your bank and other services you use.
- Inviting you to check their name and credentials online to try and legitimise their identity.
- Trying to get further personal information from you, so they can access your account themselves.
What to do if you receive a scam call
If you receive an unexpected call from someone claiming to be from King’s or from a bank and asking for money, do not make any payment or provide personal or banking information. You should instead end the call immediately and contact your bank to inform them. You should also make a formal report to Action Fraud.
You can also let us know that this has happened by email or phone, using the details below:
- Email: Credit.Control@kcl.ac.uk
- Phone: +44 (0)20 7848 3279
We recommend updating your Student Finance password, ensuring that a unique, secure password is used and checking that your bank details in the system are correct.
If you think you’ve been targeted by this scam and need support, please see this article for further information: I think I've been targeted by a scam, what should I do?
For more information on how to avoid scams, please see this article: Common scams & fraud; get to know them and how to avoid them.