（向上滑动启阅）

Hello

We have a message that we thought would be useful to share with other ANUK members.

Recently it has come to our attention that an increasing number of international students living in purpose-built student accommodation are being targeted as part of a financial fraud scheme involving accommodation rental payments.

A large number of Chinese students from across Sheffield are currently being approached on a city-wide WeChat group, by a third party that is promoting a rent payment service where students that use the service will receive a discount on their rent. The student is then asked to transfer them the rental payment, minus the discount, to the third party, who in turn pays the full amount of rent on behalf of the student, by credit card. A receipt is then provided to the student. Some weeks later the third party is claiming a chargeback on the credit card payment, which is then reversed by the credit card provider. This payment then returns to being unpaid on the student’s account.

This doesn’t just affect Student Roost. However, we are sorry to report that some of our residents in Sheffield are among those to be targeted. There is also obviously a worry that this scam is being replicated in other university cities.

We are so upset that international students have been targeted in this way and are doing everything we can to support them. We are also in discussions with Action Fraud and the Police so that they can take appropriate action.

From a Student Roost perspective, we are writing to all our residents in Sheffield to remind them to be alert to fraud, secure payment methods for rent (including using Western Union to reduce fees), and details of Action Fraud if they ever need them in future. We are also notifying all of our operational managers across the UK to this fraud.

For any residents we believe may have been directly affected, we are providing them with all the support they need, including the following advice:

- To immediately change their portal log-in password and not to share these details with - To make an official report to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ or by ringing 0300 123 2040 (an interpreter service is available on the phone line).

- To speak to their university’s student support services team if they need any financial or pastoral support, and to contact us at any time if they have any questions or need help.

We have prepared communications in Mandarin for residents who are affected. We also have a number of Chinese-speaking colleagues in our business who will also be available to support any residents who need or want to speak to someone in Mandarin. We are providing all the support we possibly can to our residents at this difficult time.

We’ll also work closely with universities to share their information with our residents.

We’d be very grateful if you could pass details on about the way that these fraudsters are targeting students. We want to ensure that customers living in any PBSA or university-owned accommodation are aware of this fraud, and what to do if they are affected.

Whichever provider they are living with, students should be informed that they should never transfer rent money through a third party or ask anyone to pay on their behalf unless they are close family members, or someone who is known well to them and trusted to act on their behalf.

Regards