Tips on staying in control of your money - header image

Tips on staying in control of your money

Protect yourself against fraud and financial scams

Protect yourself against fraud and financial scams

Anyone can be targeted by fraudulent activity, so it’s important to take steps to keep your money safe and access support if you need it.

Financial scams come in many forms e.g. via post, call, text, email or even on your doorstep. They can be disguised in different ways – from entering an ‘amazing’ prize draw or asking you to update your bank details, to unknowingly getting involved in money mule fraud, to name a few.

Spotting scams

Some fraudulent activity and financial scams specifically target students, such as contact from what looks like:

  • Student Loans Company – making payment or bank detail requests
  • UK Visas and Immigration – asking to pay money for not attending police registration appointments
  • The Home Office – asking for personal details or money to rectify application or visa problems
  • The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – telling you about a rebate or penalty
  • NHS or Gov.uk – requesting payment for COVID-19 vaccinations or fines for breaking self-isolation
  • Royal Mail or other delivery companies – asking for payment to get a parcel delivered

Here are our top tips for staying in control of your money:

  • If you are contacted, make sure you take a moment to check who the sender is and what information they are asking you to provide
  • Look at the quality of the communication – spelling mistakes and bad grammar are tell-tale signs of phishing
  • Don’t give your bank account details to anyone unless you know and trust them
  • Legitimate companies will not ask you for bank details, passwords, or personal information – and if you are unsure, they won’t mind you getting in touch to check
  • When you move house, make sure you update your correspondence address or better yet, why not go paperless (but keep your passwords and pins safe!)
  • Don’t feel pressurised into making a decision on the spot – a trustworthy company will be happy to wait
  • If something sounds out of the ordinary or too good to be true – then it probably is

Get support

If you are unsure whether something is legit or suspect you have been scammed, get in touch as soon as possible:

As well as our University services, you can also get financial advice from:

We have received a few queries about the authenticity of Flywire payment plan emails.

Flywire is our new payment partner, and if you choose to pay your fees via instalments when going through enrolment, you will receive an email within 48 hours from info@pay.mmu.ac.uk asking you to set up a payment plan. If you want to find out more, please visit our Paying University Fees page or email: pay@mmu.ac.uk.