Spot phishing texts, fake job offers, money mule scams and investment fraud before they spot you. Free scam awareness games, plus what to do and who to call if you've been scammed.
Rushed, scared, excited or told to keep quiet? Stop. Those are the scammer's favourite feelings.
Phishing = scam emails. Smishing = scam texts. Forward texts to 7726 and emails to the official reporting address.
'Safe account' = scam, 100% of the time. Hang up, then call your bank on a number you trust (or 159).
For every message: who's it really from, what does it want, and how can I check it myself?
Pay with protection (card, platform checkout), never bank transfer to a stranger. Too cheap = too good to be true.
No viewing, no payment. Rental scammers copy real listings and vanish with deposits.
Letting anyone use your account to move money = money laundering. Never 'receive and send on' money for anyone.
Romance scammers build trust for weeks, avoid video calls, then ask for money. Never send money to someone you haven't met in person.
Investment scams love group chats, fake screenshots and promises of high returns. Check the FCA register and Warning List.
Tricked into sending a bank transfer? That's APP fraud. Tell your bank immediately — many victims can now get money back.
Scam texts → 7726. Fraud → your bank + Report Fraud (Police Scotland in Scotland). Teach family: police and banks never collect cards or cash.
The Home Office doesn't issue on-the-spot fines by phone. Hang up, check your eVisa through your own UKVI account, and tell your university's international advice team.
'Money flipping', giveaways that ask you to pay first, and 'easy money' for using your bank account are scams. Real offers don't need your money or your account.
Multi-stage scams build trust step by step. Every new contact gets checked through your own route.
GameScams & Fraud: quick answers
What's the FIRST thing to do when a message makes you panic?
Stop, and check it through an official route you find yourself. Yes. Stop, challenge, protect. Look up the number or website yourself — never use the one in the message.
You get a scam text in the UK. What do you do with it?
Forward it to 7726. Yes! It spells SPAM on old keypads. It's free and helps networks block the sender.
You're 'not sure' about a message from your uni. What's the best move?
Log in to the uni portal yourself, or contact them on details from the official website. Yes. Go to the source yourself. 'Not sure' always means 'check independently'.
Lin, an international student, is told 'pay before you arrive in the UK to guarantee the room'. Best move?
Use the uni's accommodation service or verify the agent, and get a contract and live video viewing first. Yes. Unis often vet accommodation. Verify, get a contract, never pay a stranger blind.
The 'job' says: move £5,000 and keep £500. What percentage 'commission' is that — for risking a criminal record?
10%. £500 for something that can follow you for years. Not worth it at ANY percentage.
Mo already said yes and money just arrived from a stranger. What now?
Don't move the money, contact your bank straight away, and report it. Yes. Telling your bank fast is the best thing you can do. Being honest early really matters.
Romance scammers often escalate. If requests go £300, then £600, then double each time, how much is sent after 5 requests?
£300 + £600 + £1,200 + £2,400 + £4,800 = £9,300. Each 'just one more' makes it harder to stop. That's why the first 'no' matters.
Which of these is APP fraud?
You transfer a deposit to a fake landlord who then vanishes. Yes. You authorised the payment, but you were tricked. That's APP fraud.
Scams & Fraud: in-depth guides
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