Phishing – why am I a target?

Published: 23/10/2023

Phishing is the attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by disguising as a trustworthy source in an email. 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent every day! Everyone can be phished at some point in their life but some groups are more highly-targeted than others.

As a student, you are a particularly enticing target to cybercriminals due to the following:

• You've probably received a maintenance loan, and it may be the first time you’ve had that much money in your bank account.
• You’re likely facing loans and debt for the first time, which provides plenty of opportunity to manipulate you through fear.
• You may be living away from your family, cutting you off from your normal support network and leaving you more vulnerable.

Cybercriminals could also try to entice you with attractive part-time jobs where you can earn some extra cash. However, the offers will likely be too good to be true or even cause you to break the law.

Oversharing on social media can also make you an easy target, as you give them information they can use to manipulate you. These tactics are known as ‘social engineering’.

If you receive what you suspect to be a phishing email, please report it to NTU’s Digital Technologies service desk.

Scams

As well as phishing, it's important to watch out for other scams during your studies. Some common ones include:

• Tuition or accommodation fee scams.
• Student events scams – by looking at university pages on social media, scammers can lure you into buying fake tickets for an event you are interested in.
• Essay writing services scams – these scammers contact you on social media offering to help with coursework for a fee. They often take your money and run. Even if they do produce something for you, the results are always poor quality and full of plagiarism.
• Yearbook scams.
• Course book purchasing scam – fraudsters reach out to you with tempting deals on course textbooks in an attempt to steal your money.

If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, please get in touch with the Digital Technologies service desk

Cyber Security Awareness drop in session

Wednesday 1 November, 1 pm

Do you want to know how to stay cyber safe during your studies? Or perhaps you're interested in pursuing a career in cyber security?

In this online session, our cyber experts will be taking a look at the scams we’ve seen aimed at students and helping you spot the 🚩🚩 so you're not caught out! We'll answer any of your questions too.