Scammers Target UK Independent Schools with Phishing Scams to Steal Millions in Fee Payments
A recent study has revealed that hackers are increasingly targeting independent schools in the UK, attempting to intercept fee payments from parents of international students. The scam typically starts with a phishing email sent to parents, supposedly from the school's bursar, asking them to pay tuition fees to a different account than usual. The emails often offer discounts, sometimes as high as 25%, to lure parents into making a payment.
The scammers usually exploit vulnerabilities in the communication channels used by schools, such as email or WhatsApp groups, and try to find weaknesses in these systems. Many schools have multiple ways of communicating with parents, which makes them easier targets for hackers. The scammers also try to exploit various payment methods, including wire transfers, cheques, cash, debit cards, and credit cards.
According to the managing director of Iris Education, a software company that carried out the research, many schools are doing everything right in terms of traditional processes, but these very processes have become vulnerabilities that criminals can easily exploit. The study found that all 100 surveyed independent schools had been targeted by scammers at least once over a five-year period.
The average amount lost to the scam was £3,200, although some families lost as much as £10,000 after being duped into sending money to the bank account of a criminal. Parents of international students are often the most susceptible to these scams, as English may not be their first language and they can miss warning signs that the email is fake.
Parents are advised to be on the lookout for any suspicious messages that attach an urgent sense of payment, such as invoices sent at unusual times of the year. If anything raises alarm bells, parents should contact the school through official channels, rather than using a phone number or email address from the suspicious message. They should also report the incident to their bank and the National Crime Agency's Report Fraud service.
The scammers' tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with some hackers even stealing sensitive data from companies that manage visas for international students. The UK independent school sector is under threat from these phishing scams, which can have serious financial consequences for families who fall victim.
A recent study has revealed that hackers are increasingly targeting independent schools in the UK, attempting to intercept fee payments from parents of international students. The scam typically starts with a phishing email sent to parents, supposedly from the school's bursar, asking them to pay tuition fees to a different account than usual. The emails often offer discounts, sometimes as high as 25%, to lure parents into making a payment.
The scammers usually exploit vulnerabilities in the communication channels used by schools, such as email or WhatsApp groups, and try to find weaknesses in these systems. Many schools have multiple ways of communicating with parents, which makes them easier targets for hackers. The scammers also try to exploit various payment methods, including wire transfers, cheques, cash, debit cards, and credit cards.
According to the managing director of Iris Education, a software company that carried out the research, many schools are doing everything right in terms of traditional processes, but these very processes have become vulnerabilities that criminals can easily exploit. The study found that all 100 surveyed independent schools had been targeted by scammers at least once over a five-year period.
The average amount lost to the scam was £3,200, although some families lost as much as £10,000 after being duped into sending money to the bank account of a criminal. Parents of international students are often the most susceptible to these scams, as English may not be their first language and they can miss warning signs that the email is fake.
Parents are advised to be on the lookout for any suspicious messages that attach an urgent sense of payment, such as invoices sent at unusual times of the year. If anything raises alarm bells, parents should contact the school through official channels, rather than using a phone number or email address from the suspicious message. They should also report the incident to their bank and the National Crime Agency's Report Fraud service.
The scammers' tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with some hackers even stealing sensitive data from companies that manage visas for international students. The UK independent school sector is under threat from these phishing scams, which can have serious financial consequences for families who fall victim.
ugh, parents gotta be super careful now, especially if they dont speak english fluently 
or if the email looks kinda sketchy, just dont respond or click on anything, trust ur gut instinct 
& report it to the school & bank ASAP! 
we gotta look out 4 each other, parents & schools alike 
. These scammers are like sharks, always looking for the easiest way to get their hooks in. The fact that some of these schools have been targeted 100 times already is crazy 
. And it's not just the money lost - it's also the stress and emotional toll it takes on families. I mean, can you imagine getting an email from what seems like your child's school saying they need urgent payment? 
. If English isn't their first language, it's hard for them to spot the fake emails from a mile away. And what about those families who don't have anyone to turn to? They might be more likely to fall victim to these scams.
. It's alarming to think that scammers are exploiting vulnerabilities in communication channels and payment methods to target fee payments from parents of international students 
. Parents themselves need to be vigilant and report any suspicious messages or emails to the school, their bank, and the National Crime Agency 
. It's also essential for schools to keep parents informed about any potential threats and provide guidance on how to stay safe online 
.
they're targeting uk independent schools and trying to steal MILLIONS OF POUNDS IN FEE PAYMENTS 
they need to be super careful and report any suspicious messages to the school and their bank ASAP 
i feel like we need to do more to support these families and help them stay safe online. maybe schools could even have some sort of awareness campaign or training program for parents? 
. It's so easy for them to get away with it because schools are already bombarded with emails and messages, making it hard to filter out the fake ones 
You can't be too careful online. And what's even more worrying is that these scammers are getting so good at stealing sensitive info from visa companies too 
.
! dey send fake emails 2 parents sayin its from the bursar but really it's just a trap 2 steal mils in fee paymnts 
. dont be a fool ppl! keep ur eyez open 4 suspicious msgs esp if it's from a bank account u've never seen b4 
, trust me u dont wanna get duped 
. And you know what really gets me is that these scammers are using all this advanced tech to trick people, but we can do better than that 
. Schools need to step up their security game and educate parents on how to spot these fake emails 
. We can't have our schools being hacked left and right, it's just too much 
. I'm all for supporting our local schools, but we gotta do better here 
.
. I mean, it's not hard to see how this would happen - schools are trying to communicate with lots of people at once, and that makes them vulnerable to hackers. And then there's the fact that some of these families aren't even fluent in English, which makes it even harder for them to spot a scam. It's just, like, common sense that you shouldn't send money without checking first... but I guess some people are more gullible than others 
. And £3,200 is still a lot of money, let alone £10,000