Students Alerted Against Education Loan Phishing E-mail

The Student Finance England or Student Loans Company (UK) has issued an alert that a phishing e-mail scam has hit some students. The reports state that fraudsters have sent a fake e-mail regarding education loans to the students in an attempt to seize their personal bank details.

The e-mail, posing as a communication from the Student Finance England, states that it is an official notice about an important account update. Subsequently, it explains that there has been an update of the company's database in the recent time; therefore, all students are required to confirm personal account details. The purpose is to make sure that students get their planned payment on time and no payment gets missed out, the e-mail claims. Following this, it directs the user to click on a given web-link for making the confirmation.

In addition, the e-mail states that the recipient (student) should furnish the requested details in the same way as he furnished them during his application for student loan. Lastly, the message states that if the user fails to confirm his account details, he will not get the 'student loan.'

However, the Student Loans Company officials reminded students that it wouldn't ever contact consumers through e-mail asking them for personal bank information verification. Hence, students should overlook the e-mail since it is a fake. They should not hand over their bank details, the officials advised.

Besides, the officials also suggested that students should not click on links sent through any e-mail saying it has come from Student Finance England. If any update or correspondence is required from them, then they must ensure that they're visiting the authentic website. Moreover, they must access the website by directly typing the URL into their Web-browser.

However, in case any student has responded to the phishing e-mail with his bank details, then he should immediately change his account password. Thereafter, he should forward the e-mail to Student Finance England at security@slc.co.uk.

Meanwhile, on January 18, 2010, the University of Lincoln issued the same alert online to its entire student community, suggesting that they should disregard the spoofed or phishing e-mail.

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» SPAMfighter News - 2/1/2010