Your safety and avoiding scams

Scams and fraud

We hope that your time in the UK is enjoyable and safe. Unfortunately, there have been some cases of international students experiencing fraudulent schemes (scams) by telephone or email, often with the purpose of obtaining money or personal bank details from them. You may be contacted by someone pretending to represent legitimate organisations such as your government’s embassy, police, prosecutor’s office, court, or any United Kingdom government agency, or even from the university itself. 

What to look out for: 

• The phone number may be disguised and, although appearing correct, it could be a scam
• Requests for personal information or bank account details
• Requests to transfer money by any method 

What to do:

• Do not share any personal information/banking information – banks will never call you and ask you to confirm a password or account number
• If someone encourages you to call them back to ‘prove’ the call is genuine, wait 24 hours and call from a different phone
• End the call immediately or stop replying to messages
• If you have transferred money, you should contact your bank immediately and report it to local police 

For more information about scams and how to identify them, this booklet from the police is very helpful.

Staying safe - general advice

It is advisable that you take the following advice when out and about:   

• Keep your passport and visa safe, especially when travelling 
• Keep a copy of your passport, visa, credit card details in your accommodation
• Close and lock doors and windows before leaving your house or room 
• Never leave your belongings unattended in public areas (including the library) 
• If you buy a bicycle while in the UK, lock it with a good quality ‘D’ lock
• If you are going out at night, try to find routes that are well lit and busy
• Always walk on the pavement and, if you are crossing a road, try to find a marked crossing, remembering that people in the UK drive on the left hand side of the road
• It gets dark early in the UK during the winter, try to wear some type of reflective clothing if out exercising/walking to and from campus
• Try to avoid taking short cuts through parks/alleyways at night
• If you think you are being followed, find the nearest public place and ask for assistance
• Avoid using cash machines at night or in isolated places and always be aware of people around you
• Don’t carry or display large amounts of money; keep it and other valuables out of sight of others
• Try not to display expensive items like laptops, mobile phones and jewellery
• Do not keep large amounts of money in your room or on you
• Be aware of people around you at cash points – try not to use them if the area is badly lit
• Always ensure you have enough money on you to either make a telephone call/take a taxi if you need one 
• Carry your bag close to you, however, if someone grabs your bag, let it go – your personal safety is far more important than any possessions 
• Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know and ensure that you never leave your drink unattended in a public place 
• Avoid confrontation – if you are harassed, try to remove yourself from the situation

British police

The police in the UK have a reputation for being helpful and friendly. They generally do not carry guns. You can always approach them for help. However, it is essential to cooperate with them if you find yourself in trouble. Provided you are considerate and polite at all times you will not have a problem. 

Police powers to search

Police can stop and question people whenever they wish. They are supposed to ask questions in order to decide whether or not grounds exist for a search. Before searching someone against their will, police must: 

• identify themselves, giving their name and police station
• explain grounds for suspicion
• explain exactly what they are looking for
• inform the person searched that a copy of the record of the search will be available if requested within a year

Police arrest procedure

If you do find yourself in trouble with the police and are arrested, it is because the police have reasonable grounds to suspect you are involved in a crime for which your arrest is necessary. The police have powers to arrest you anywhere and at any time, including on the street, at home or at work. It is important that you know the police arrest procedure that they should follow. If you’re arrested the police must: 

• identify themselves as the police
• tell you that you’re being arrested
• tell you what crime they think you’ve committed
• explain why it’s necessary to arrest you
• explain to you that you’re not free to leave 

If you try to escape or become violent, the police can use ‘reasonable force’, e.g. holding you down so you can’t run off. You can also be handcuffed. The police have powers to search you when you’re arrested. If you do find yourself in trouble with the police, you should inform the university. 

This link will give you more details on powers of arrest in the UK.

Reporting a crime

In the situation where you need to report a crime, you should contact your local police station or ask someone at the university to make the call for you.

In an emergency where you need to report a severe incident, a fire or seek urgent medical help you should call 999. This is a free phone number and will put you in direct contact with the police, ambulance or fire service.

Please note that this number should only be used in an emergency. Call 101 to contact the police when your situation is not an emergency.