Online fraudsters often target students at this time of year as they know you might be expecting emails from the Student Loans Company – or would really like an email saying you were entitled to a grant to help finance your studies (if you would just click this link to confirm your details…).
Students at some HE institutions (not HWU so far) have reported receiving emails like this recently…
and it’s a scam – so if you do receive a similar email please delete it.
Top tips to help you spot phishing emails
- Be suspicious of any urgent requests for personal or financial information
- Be aware: Phishing scams are common at main instalment payment dates i.e. September, January and April
- Check that you’re using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information; look out for “https://” and/or the security lock
- Prevention: Your email details may have been taken from a social networking site so avoid disclosing your email address or make sure you hide it on your page
- Look for tell-tale signs of phishing: Check the quality of the communication. Misspelling, poor punctuation and bad grammar are often good indicators
For more info and advice see
You should report any suspicious emails arriving in your @hw.ac.uk account to abuse@hw.ac.uk
InformS 