Employment scams targeting int’l students in UK sparks campaign

• International students in the UK now face increased risks from employment scams so a national awareness drive has emerged to protect them. Recruitment agents pretending to offer placements have duped students by demanding large illegal fees to provide non-existing job placements as well as fake sponsorship documents. Targeted victims have been forced to pay up to £17,000 for sponsorship documents which should be provided for no cost. 

• The job-readiness platform Student Circus initiated a campaign which aims to provide international students with vital information about such deceptive operations. The campaign presents students with watch signs for scams along with step-by-step guidance to prevent them from being swindled. 

• Various fraud schemes continue to grow as a major issue. According to a BBC news article middlemen under false pretenses have been tricking students into obtaining skilled work visas. International students experience attacks where criminals pretend to be officials from the Home Office or embassies and force students to send big money payments by threatening legal consequences. The combination of two Northern Irish students became prey to Chinese official impersonators who successfully obtained £105,000 from them through fraud schemes. 

• Student organizations together with universities work to spread protective knowledge while defending their members from fraudulent schemes. The initiative stresses that students must authenticate job openings and pay attention to unexpected payment requests sent through unknown sources. The initiative works to spread knowledge about financial exploitation protection of international students and provides them with improved security in their UK educational experience.