Scammers are now believed to be using AI to target UCL students with tailored threats about their loved ones.
The scammers, who call themselves the “UCL Smugglers”, rang one student with a private number and greeted them with the following message: “Hello [full name], we hope you’re having a shit day.”
The student, who we are calling Connie, said she was shocked when the scammers identified her boyfriend by name and where he lived, claiming to have taken him hostage.
Asked how she felt about the incident, she said: “I’m still a little nervous. I still don’t know who it was and it’s been making me anxious.”
In a robotic voice, the scammers told Connie: “We have taken your boyfriend, [his first name], from Walthamstow while he was making coffee.”
Connie believes the scam was the work of AI and quickly hung up, fearing her voice would be cloned to conduct other scams after recent reports that some scammers are now using AI to clone voices to threaten loved ones.
The incident was reported to the police and UCL’s Crime Prevention and Personal Safety Team, who recommended reporting the incident to a third party such as Action Fraud’s National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre.
It adds to the growing number of scams targeting UCL students of late.
This includes a “concerning number” of concert ticket scams targeting students on WhatsApp group chats and follows a warning by the University’s cybersecurity chief of a “significant increase” in phone and internet scams in recent months.
The UCL Crime Prevention Team said it understands from the police that there has been a significant rise in AI-related scams nationally and added that students should stay vigilant.
“We currently have multiple working groups across multiple departments continuously exploring how we can share information with students as effectively as possible to ensure students can keep themselves safe.”
It added that students who receive a scam call should report it to the police on 101 or call 999 if they believe any part of the threat is viable and someone is at risk of harm.
“If at any point money is being requested… get in touch with us before sending anything over and we can explore what legitimacy and risk the threats or requests hold.
“We can then create a plan of what next steps need to be taken to ensure the safety of all involved.”
The Crime Prevention Team holds talks throughout the year giving personal safety advice, including information on spotting scams.
A UCL spokesperson said: “In recent years, we have seen financial scams becoming more sophisticated and more targeted.
“To avoid scams, students should only ever pay UCL tuition fees directly using our payment portal, Flywire, or by following the instructions on our tuition fees webpage. We will never contact students asking them to pay their fees using any other method.
“We raise awareness about scams throughout the year, which includes encouraging students to complete our cyber safety online course. In September and November scores of students attended seminars given jointly by our crime prevention team and the Metropolitan Police, and more talks are planned for January.
“We also work closely with UCL Students’ Union on fraud prevention and regularly post information on our website offering advice on how to spot scams and who to report them to.”
If you have been the victim of a phone or internet scam or know someone who was, please get in touch with our journalists at investigations@cheesegratermagazine.org.
Readers should consult the UCL Fraud & Scam page and Common Student Scams and How to Avoid Them for further advice.
