23 May 2016
The Home Office have contacted us to warn of a telephone scam targeting international students.
Many students have received a call from someone claiming to be from the Home Office telling them that they have not paid for an immigration service and, as a result, must pay a fine (usually £1200 to £1520) or face being reported to the Police/Home Office.
The number that they call from will appear to be a genuine Home Office telephone number (020 7035 4848). The caller directs the student being targeted to the gov.uk website to verify that the number they are calling from is genuine. The caller will be in possession of the student’s full name, postcode in the UK and passport number; they will ask the student they are calling to verify that the details they have are correct.
Students who have been targeted have reported that the fraudsters become increasingly insistent and verbally aggressive resulting in them feeling coerced in to making a payment.
This is NOT a genuine call from the Home Office. The Home Office never contacts students in this manner.
Please contact the VISAS Team if you receive such a call.