Friday 13-05-2022 - 16:57

Unfortunately, housing scams exist - although rare, sadly we do receive messages from students making us aware of scammers trying to get them to transfer money.  Recently we’ve had reports of scam texts from people pretending to be landlords and asking for payment. We hope these tips can help you stay vigilant!

 

Scammers are always looking for new ways to trick individuals into giving away personal information or transferring large sums of money. Even before you’re asked to send any money, warning signs can appear. Often the person posing as a landlord will try to convince you that they live abroad, or have been let down before, so need you to prove that you’re serious by paying a deposit before viewing. They might also start asking for your identity documents before you’ve even met. These could be used to carry out more serious identity fraud. Below, we have listed some of the things to bear in mind if you think someone is trying to scam you:

 

• If you're unsure if a call is genuine, hang up, wait five minutes and call the company back.
• The bank will never call you to ask for your PIN or password.
• Always be suspicious if you're contacted out of the blue.
• Check the sender’s email address to make sure it is genuine.
• Don't download suspicious attachments.
• Always research independent feedback on sellers and their products.
• Look out for company logos and branding, and make sure web addresses are correct.
• Don’t enter any personal or account information if you’ve clicked a suspicious link.
• Check the number if you receive a suspicious-looking text, and don’t be tempted to click on any links.

 

If you’d like more information, check out the University’s guidance on how to stay safe from scammers:

 

https://www.dur.ac.uk/cis/security/staysafeonline/

 

You can also reach out to our online Advice Service to speak to a student advisor. 

 

If you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact the police first. You should then let Action Fraud know online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. Provide as many details as possible about what happened.