A common form of fraud is phone call scams whereby students are contacted by fraudsters pretending to be from the UK Tax office (HMRC), the Home Office, University senior management, or other government agencies.
The fraudsters state there are urgent issues with your bank account, tax affairs or VISA status, and try to get you to transfer funds to a 'safe' bank account to prevent losses. Some threaten imminent arrest and deportation unless an immediate transfer is made to cover tax payments owed or a fine relating to a visa irregularity.
It is important to know that official UK agencies never demand immediate payment, will never ask for bank details and will never ask for copies of official documents such as a passport or visa.
If you are contacted by any agency who says you must act immediately - you should ask them for their name and what department they work in, hang up and contact the organisation using a contact number on the organisation's official website.
More information from the University about Phishing and Fraud, see