Freshers could be targeted by scammers, particularly if English is not their first language. You could be targeted with bogus ‘student loan’ emails and too-good-to-be-true job opportunities that ask for your bank details or Raven login – especially at the start of every term.
Fraudsters could contact you by email, social media or phone and:
- tell you that you are due a tax refund
- ask you to make payments
- ask you for your personal information
Cybercriminals are known to exploit situations such as Covid-19.
Find out more about student scams, phishing and social media profiling.
Create a strong password and keep it safe
Your Raven password protects your accounts and is used to give you access to many University systems and storage. It's therefore very powerful: if someone manages to get your password and compromises your Raven account, they'll have access to everything you have access to.
Find out how to:
Don't get phished
If you've fallen prey to a scammer, please don't be too embarrassed to report it. Your local IT staff or the UIS Service Desk can advise you about what you need to do next. It also helps us to prevent anyone else being caught out, and investigate the perpetrators.
We've blocked many scam websites on the University Data Network, but if you're studying while away from Cambridge you'll still be vulnerable if you click on a suspicious link in a malicious website or email. Please remain vigilant when responding to or sharing emails – particularly those that originate outside the University.
If you've clicked on something suspicious:
- Use the Raven Password Management site to change your password, but don't use the same device that you used to click on the link because it may have become infected and could detect your change of password.
- Contact your local IT support or the UIS Service Desk.
Cyber security awareness and training
Complete our cyber security awareness training for students to understand the cyber security risks and how to keep safe online.