Staying safe online as a student: scams to know
Students are frequent targets for scams because they're active online, often short of money and eager for opportunities. The good news is that most scams follow predictable patterns, and a few habits can protect you from nearly all of them.
Patterns to watch for
- Too-good-to-be-true offers: guaranteed returns, instant scholarships or 'easy money' tasks.
- Pressure to act immediately: 'only 10 minutes left' is a tactic, not a deadline.
- Requests for OTPs, PINs or passwords: no genuine service will ask for these.
- Pay-first jobs and fees: be wary of any 'opportunity' that asks you to pay before you earn.
- Fake payment alerts: always confirm money in your own account before releasing goods.
Habits that protect you
- Never share your OTP, PIN or password with anyone, including people claiming to be support.
- Use a strong, unique password and turn on any extra login protection available.
- Check URLs and app sources carefully before logging in or paying.
- Use platforms that hold payment until delivery is confirmed when you buy from or sell to people you don't know.
- Keep screenshots and chats if a transaction goes wrong.
If something goes wrong
Act quickly. Contact your bank or payment provider, change your passwords, and report the incident to the platform involved. Telling someone you trust is important too, because it's easy to feel embarrassed, but scams happen to smart people all the time.