Students warned over email scam

Student Finance England, which administers and processes England-based students' loans and grants, said it typically saw a rise in phishing attacks at this time of year.

The scams involve fraudsters sending out emails that look as if they have come from Student Finance England, asking students to provide their account details so payments can be made to them.The group said it had closed down around 50 phishing sites during the past year – double the number it closed down in 2008.

Heather Laing, fraud manager at Student Finance England, said: "Students are likely to receive a great deal of correspondence from Student Finance England at this time.

"Scammers exploit this increased contact. However, we will never ask students to confirm their bank details via email. If they do receive such a request, they should forward it on to us."