Student Finance Scam UK: Spot a Fake SLC Message
The Student Loans Company says it will not ask for personal or financial information by email or text, and SLC and Student Finance England do not provide services through WhatsApp.
What the scam looks like
A text, email, call or social-media message impersonates the Student Loans Company (SLC), Student Finance England or another student-finance body. It may claim there is a blocked payment, outstanding balance, refund or special loan, then request login, personal or bank details. SLC has repeatedly warned students to be especially alert around expected payment dates.
Genuine services and domains
For England, start at gov.uk/studentfinance. Official information is also published by SLC at slc.co.uk, Student Finance Wales at studentfinancewales.co.uk, Student Finance Northern Ireland at studentfinanceni.co.uk, and the Student Awards Agency Scotland at saas.gov.uk.
Do not use a warning rule that treats only gov.uk and slc.co.uk as valid; the devolved services have their own official domains.
What SLC says about contact
SLC says it will not ask students to provide personal or financial information by email or text. SLC and Student Finance England do not provide services through WhatsApp and do not initiate social-media contact to discuss an application or entitlement. However, SLC and Student Finance England do use official social accounts for public information, and some account-specific messaging may be available after the customer initiates contact through supported channels.
SLC also says Student Finance England may send a text when bank details have been changed, asking the customer to confirm the change. If you did not make it, sign in to the account directly rather than using a message link.
Warning signs
- A generic greeting such as “Dear Student”.
- A demand to act within hours or lose funding.
- A request for login, personal or bank details by email or text.
- Unsolicited contact about entitlement through WhatsApp or social media.
- A link whose domain does not match the relevant official service.
Spelling errors are a possible warning sign, not a reliable test; sophisticated scams can be well written.
Check and respond safely
Do not use the message link. Sign in through the relevant official service and check correspondence, payment dates and account details. If credentials were entered on a fake page, change the account password and any reused password. Contact the bank immediately if financial details were disclosed or money was sent.
Reporting in the UK
GOV.UK's student-finance phishing guidance asks anyone who gets a suspected scam email or text about student finance to forward it to fcpu_alerts@slc.co.uk. If you've already responded to a phishing message, sign in to your student finance account yourself and change your password, then contact SLC using the number on that account rather than any number in the message. Suspicious emails can also be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk, and texts to 7726.
If money was lost or an account was compromised, report the crime to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
Frequently asked questions
Does SLC ever text or email?
Yes, but it says it will not ask for personal or financial information through those channels. Verify a claimed account change by signing in directly.
Does SLC use WhatsApp?
Its published guidance says SLC and Student Finance England do not provide services through WhatsApp.