TL;DR: The Student Loans Company says scammers are most active around the September, January and April payment dates, sending texts, emails and calls saying your payment is blocked, your bank details need updating or your account will close. SLC never asks for personal or financial information by email, text or social media, doesn’t use WhatsApp and doesn’t set 24-hour deadlines. Sign in through GOV.UK instead, forward emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and texts to 7726.
Why students are targeted
Timing. In September 2026 SLC planned to pay about £2.6 billion in maintenance support to 1.1 million students, according to its GOV.UK press release. Scammers know exactly when that money lands, and many students are managing money alone for the first time. SLC says its prevention measures saved £56.2 million last year.
What the fake messages say
- your payment is at risk or blocked;
- your bank details need updating;
- your account will be closed unless you act immediately.
They arrive by text, email or phone, peaking in September, January and April.
SLC’s warning signs
- SLC will never ask for personal or financial information by email, text or social media.
- It doesn’t send urgent deadlines like “your account closes in 24 hours.”
- If you didn’t ask to change bank details, SLC won’t text you to confirm a change.
- SLC and Student Finance England don’t use WhatsApp and don’t contact students on social media about applications or entitlements.
Don’t share your customer reference number, date of birth, course details or address with anyone who contacted you.
What to do
- Don’t click. Sign in to your student finance account through GOV.UK yourself.
- Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
- Forward scam texts to 7726.
- If your account may be compromised, contact SLC using the official details on GOV.UK and call your bank.
Other scams aimed at students
Fake rental listings, job offers that pay you to move money (money muling), and too-good-to-be-true ticket resales are all common. See scams targeting students, money mule scams and protecting a student’s identity.
A student email address gets signed up to a lot of things. A free email exposure check shows which breaches it’s already in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Student Finance England contact students on WhatsApp?
No. SLC says it doesn’t use WhatsApp or contact students on social media about applications or entitlements.
When do student finance scams peak?
Around the September, January and April payment periods.
Will SLC ask me to update bank details by text?
SLC won’t text you to confirm a bank detail change you didn’t request. Check your account via GOV.UK.
How do I report a student finance scam?
Forward emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and texts to 7726.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Students urged to stop and think before you click (Sept 1, 2026)
- Which?: Student loan warning as scammers hijack payments