Current Students and Staff

The University has become aware of some fraudulent activity targeting international students.

All international students are urged to read and take note of the following information:

The scam:

• You will receive a telephone call from someone who claims to be calling from the Home Office or the UKVI.
• They may advise you that you have not paid for an immigration service, and that, as a result, you will have to pay a fine (usually around £1200-£1800).
• They will also say that, if you do not pay the fine, you will be reported to the Police and/or the Home Office, who will detain or deport you.
• The caller may become increasingly insistent and verbally aggressive. They may try to make you panic in order to pressurise you into making a payment.

Please also note:

• That these callers can be extremely convincing, and you may find it hard to determine whether or not they are genuine.
• They may know a lot of your personal details, including your full name, your postcode and your passport number, and they may ask you to confirm that these details are correct.
• The caller also may also instruct you to verify that they are calling from a real telephone number. They will tell you to search for the Home Office on the www.gov.uk website, and ask you to scroll down to the bottom of the screen so that you verify that they are calling from a genuine Home Office number. The caller ID on your mobile will show this number.

What to do if you are called:

• Do not give the caller any personal information and do not make any payments.
• Contact the Student Advice and Support Service. They will contact the Home Office if necessary on your behalf and report the scam.

How to contact Student Advice and Support:

Call 01509 222058 or e-mail: advice@lboro.ac.uk.