Skip to content

Expert blog: Think, think and think again – how to spot a scam

Dr Lee Hadlington, cyber psychologist at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, explains why the new term is prime time for fraudsters, and gives tips on how to avoid falling victim to a scam.

    Post it notes on a keyboard with scam alert written on them
    Scammers rely on people being too busy to think properly about who they're giving information to

    The start of a new academic year, new challenges, new friends to make, new lecturers to meet - and new scams which have been designed to target both students and their parents. Who would have thought scammers would be waiting for people to go away and start a new phase in their life….but they do, and this is why.

    There’s already a lot going on; potentially it’s the first time away from home, there’s excitement, anxiety, nerves - possibly all three. Students want to meet new people, but also want to make sure they’re are doing the right thing, and don’t want to get into trouble.

    On top of this, there is a lot of focus on the finances of being a student, paying rent, buying food, and social activities. It’s likely that the last thing to think about is online safety and security.

    Dr Lee Hadlington on how to spot and avoid scams

    The scammers bank on this (no pun intended); they want people NOT to think about this type of thing, because for them, if people think, they have less of a chance of tricking them into parting with money, passwords, or personal information.

    Scammers are a clever bunch of people; they think about what type of scams work best and when to deploy them. If they were to send out emails or phone people claiming to be from a university asking for an upfront payment for accommodation in June, even before the exam results had been published and places confirmed, you’d see right through it. But fast forward a few months and the whole thing becomes a little bit more plausible.

    The scammers also use a variety of tricks and techniques that ensure that they can get people to believe what they are saying is true:

    1. They sound official – having done their homework, they will name the university you’re attending in communications; this is them showing you they have authority, and when we think someone has authority (even if they don’t) we are more likely to believe them and follow their instructions.
    2. There will usually be some sort of threat attached to the communication; for example, if you don’t pay this thing, you won’t get into your accommodation; other scams suggest that you might be arrested, you could be fined, or you will lose your account(s) online. This is useful for the scammer because it means we start to panic, and if you panic, you are more likely to act on impulse and not think things through carefully.
    3. They will know some things about you; this is potentially down to information that is already online on social media platforms, how many students share where they’re going to university on Instagram? Scammers will have some very basic information about you, and will use this to leverage more information – if someone probes for more information, student ID for instance, chances are they are trying to get additional details from you they don’t already have…and they can then use this later on.
    4. There will be a time limit for the ‘thing’ to be done; this is a really good way of adding to your panic – if you don’t do this thing in 24 hours, that’s it, we are taking something away from you.

    There are lots of other mechanisms that scammers use and the key exploits have been neatly collected here.

    So, what can you do to stay protected online? Well, the first thing is think….think….and think again. The scammers pray on the fact that you won’t think and will make a knee-jerk decision. They will add pressure to make you fall into the trap of doing what they want you to do.

    1. If they are claiming to be from your university, then you can always hang up and ring the official number back to make sure that it is. Anyone contacting you from a university should never ask you for personal details such as passwords etc.
    2. If in doubt, check it out – take your time to look at emails, check to see where they have come from (if you hover over the sending email address, you can usually spot a spoof email a mile away); check for poor spelling and grammar; do they use your name, or does it just say ‘Dear Student’?
    3. Phone a friend – this is perhaps a bit more simplified, but speak to someone you trust, your parents, a lecturer, someone at the university, before you decide about something that involves your online safety. Yes, they aren’t the police, but by taking the time to talk things through, you may actually see that the thing you are looking at is a scam.
    4. If something sounds too good to be true, it generally is – free stuff isn’t generally free, and there is always a catch, you just have to figure out what that catch is – i.e. a free coffee if you sign up to a mailing list….they have your contact details and may sell this information off to other companies (always check the small print!!)
    5. If you think you have been a victim of cybercrime, then Action Fraud UK is the place to head to – the website also has lots of information about current scams that are floating about.

    Dr Lee Hadlington, Senior Lecturer in Cyberpsychology, School of Social Sciences

    It is essential to understand how to stay safe online and protect your data. Cyber security awareness online learning is available to NTU students as part of the NTU Online Induction and is recommended for all students.

    NTU also offers a Cybersecurity: Essential Skills and Knowledge for Employees course. Find out more on the course website.

    Published on 20 September 2023
    • Category: Press office; Research; School of Social Sciences