Overview
- The alert precedes the second instalment for autumn starters and the first payments for January starters, a period criminals often target.
- Fraudsters send urgent, official-looking texts, emails and calls claiming payment problems, so students are urged to check for poor grammar, generic greetings and suspicious links.
- Students should verify any contact through their secure online account, as SLC and Student Finance England do not use WhatsApp or social media to discuss applications or entitlements.
- SLC sends SMS alerts if bank details are changed so customers can confirm any update, and students are advised to limit personal information online to reduce identity-theft risk.
- Suspicious messages should be reported to SLC’s Economic Crime Unit at report@phishing.gov.uk and 0300 100 0059, with scam texts also reportable to the National Cyber Security Centre, as ministers highlight an expanded Fraud Strategy and the Stop! Think Fraud campaign.